The Living Resume?

I’m at the National Resume Writer Association in Fort Worth, Texas to network with my peers and fellow resume afficcionados.  It’s fun to get out and meet others who have their minds in career management all the time, and especially to see friends who I’ve known over the last few years.

Last night at the welcome reception we were talking and I had a thought – I don’t remember if someone mentioned it in conversation or what but here’s what my thought was:

Could your online presence, especially one that as actively updated, be known as a “living resume?”

Now don’t get me wrong, I think the “traditional resume” is going nowhere and is useful and necessary, and will not be replaced by anything for a long, long time.

What I’m talking about is something complementary.  I once heard that “Google is your new resume.”  This means that someone looking for you goes to Google and somehow (hopefully) finds you online.

What do they find?

If you drive it they might find your LinkedIn Profile, and perhaps something to your Facebook Profile.  For some of you they’ll find your Twitter feed.

The first, most powerful thought of what a “living resume” could be is your Twitter feed (but you can also accomplish the same thing with other online activity, like a blog).

Imagine if I’m a recruiter and I come across your Twitter feed.  Will I get a good understanding of where you are at professionally?  What your expertise is?  What your professional passions are?

You can tweet things that help me understand those things… this becomes a marketing tool (just like your resume) to help me understand your breadth and depth!

What do you think – could we call all of this online activity your “living resume?”

And if we can, and you don’t do it, does that mean (as they say…) “you don’t exist?” (they say “if you are not on Google you don’t exist)