The age of online resumes is all over the place, though it doesn’t mean that the end is near for paper own. Can these two formats coexist, which one can help job seekers the most? Individually, the answers will not ever be the same, and it will depend on the industry, experience, type of company. What are the advantages and disadvantages of online and paper resumes?
The Paper Resume
As the job market becomes more evolved, the content and structure have remained the same. The paper resume has always been a 1 to 3-page document which contains the jobseeker information that is relevant to his or her work experience/history, education, personal bio, professional achievements, e
Advantages/Pros
- paper resumes are best for traditional industries.
- These are industries that are heavily influenced by traditions, meaning that they have a unique and established way they are expected to apply for jobs. This includes academics, law, government jobs and big companies with an established strict job application structure. When they find themself in any of these fields, they are required to apply with Paper/traditional resume.
- A paper /physical copy of the resume has better presenting value
- The human eye process information differently than digital ALGORITHMS. That is the reason that paper resumes are of different quality to the presentation of the job seeker’s information than the digital version.
- He or She can plan individualized paper portfolios. If they need to add examples of their work with the curriculum vitae (or carry them to an interview), paper can do much better than the online version. They can print as many samples of their work as they want and organize various portfolios for different employers/clients. Again, the presence of physical samples allows them to organize them into
Disadvantages
- Paper CV aren’t as efficient in creative industries. They are expected to showcase their tech skills and creativity in IT or creative industries. So, if they apply with a standard/Traditional curriculum vitae, the employers might think he or she is either older or lack the skills required for the position.
- The specifics are not editable. If he or she has printed out the final version, they would no longer be able to make amendments to it. So, if they found a punctuation error or would like to change their resume a bit in order to apply for a different position, they will have to edit it and print it again, which takes longer and more effort.
Online/Digital resumes.
Online / Digital resumes encompassing a wide range of web-consolidated information about the applicant, from a simple online resume to a visual and informative resume, and even personal website. Online resumes are seldom printed on paper, as their format appears best on a laptop or smartphone’s screen due to excess graphic content.
Advantages/Pros
- Web resumes offer exceptional flexibility Web applications in terms of visual appearance. Your creativity only limits the looks of web resumes. You can arrange the text in the form of infographics, incorporate multimedia content such as video or presentation and use examples of your work to support it. Online resumes are easy to update
- In contradiction to a paper resume, online resumes are easy to update. If you forgot to add some essential facts, it would take you a few minutes to get things fixed, and this information will be available for prospective employers instantly.
- These are great for IT and creative industries. Whenever you apply for a marketing or design job, use your resume as another opportunity to highlight your expertise. It is recommended that you apply with an online curriculum vitae that has several samples and unique designs – that is another opportunity for you to consider. If in IT industry, use your CV to illustrate your tech skills. For example, to illustrate your relevant web development skills, you can provide a connection to a personal website built on your own.
- The information is not limited. You have to condense your entire career history into one or two pages in a traditional resume, which makes it difficult to outline all of your skills, especially if you’ve been in the industry for a while.
- http:/www.cvtips.com/job-search/paper-vs-online-portfolios.html states that an online CV may contain, without limitation, information about your key projects and samples of your work.
- Online resumes are convenient
- The Internet makes it irresistibly easy to apply for work. If you have already parked your resume online, you can apply for the desired positions in just a few clicks–and you can do it from anywhere at any time. You can send your resume, provide a link to your portfolio, or fill in a form with convenience and speed that is impossible for traditional resumes.
Cons
- Modern resumes can be ATS-unfriendly
- Despite the attractive format and unique design, the web resumes have one major drawback–they are often unfriendly to ATS. As most significant companies use ATS, fancy formatting may be destroyed, and the system may not recognize the text; therefore, your resume will be thrown even before the hiring manager sees it.
- Some companies see video content as an unnecessary addition to a resume
- Many traditional industries believe in the power of oldfashioned resumes and are sure that visual material does not belong to a resume. In this case, you’re going to have trouble getting an invitation for an interview.
Conclusion
Modern technology offers several tools for using the imagination in a resume. The main question we should ask, “Is the ENERGY put into creating a web resume worth it?”
- Tailor your application to the preferences of the employer
- Start by finding the preferred method of application for each employer. If the company demands that you send a current resume, you do not need to send a connection to your website trying to ‘stand out. ‘Your application can end up in a spam folder.
- Make your creative resume look professional
- If you’re determined to create a visual resume, make sure it looks professional. It’s easy to spoil your creative resume by going too far in your creativity. So, if you’re not sure that your visual resume looks good enough, have another set of eyes to check it out before you apply for a job.
- Always have a printed copy of CV at hand
- Even if you’re a fan of modern resume types, make sure to have a current resume for interviews with you. If any technical issues occur (for example, your online resume does not open, or the formatting process fails), you will have your professional experience and accomplishments on paper. Also, the hiring manager will appreciate your foresight.
Today, it is wise to use both versions of the resume to combine them according to employer preferences.
