Along with the rise in popularity of the online profile have also come rampant declarations of “The resume is dead!” Though LinkedIn’s quest to serve as the next-generation resume — digital, readily accessible and easily updatable — may be a hit for many job seekers, it seriously misses the mark for senior-level executives.
Why? Because it’s online for all to see.
CEOs and their direct reports are expected to have a tremendous impact on the companies they work for, and all the behind-the-scenes type of information that shows this impact — growth data, hiring numbers, stats on increases in profits, names of largest customers/clients, details behind strategic moves that were made — is that which is pertinent throughout the interview and hiring process. This information, however, is not something that can be posted on a public profile; most senior executives, even those who are not working for publicly held companies, are held to very strict standards of confidentiality.
This is where the traditional resume comes in. Without it, there’s no real way for senior executive job candidates to convey pertinent information to boards, recruiters and hiring managers. And LinkedIn is not an acceptable substitute; a public online profile is simply no place for the private information that senior executive candidates must provide to potential employers.
The resume is not dead, and it should not be allowed to die. If you are interviewing with me and you have decided not to provide me with the genuine artifact, you had better set aside at least three hours to provide me with all of the detailed information I am going to need that should NOT be on your LinkedIn profile.
