Is the Print Résumé Dead?

It used to be that the physical representation of your résumé, your print résumé, was one of the most important elements of application submission to companies. However, because of the ubiquity of email communication in business over the past decade, human resources departments have gradually transitioned almost completely to electronic submission for convenience and search effectiveness. While the print résumé may not be dead, it is certainly on its way out.

The common practice of most mid-sized and larger companies is to have résumés submitted electronically, online or through email submission, particularly during searches for positions that require a large pool of applicants. One of the reasons for this is ease of sorting and selection. These companies generally use keyword searches to weed out any applicants who are not suited for the specific positions needed. Therefore, much of the art of résumé submission now focuses on content instead of hard copy presentation on fancy linen paper with matching envelope.

With the advent of electronic communication, much has changed aside from the presentation. Recent interviews with business leaders, recruiters and hiring managers by the Gallup organization make evident that elements that were highly important as recently as a decade ago, such as college majors and the institutions from which applicants graduated, are not as important as applied skills, workplace knowledge and experience. While a relevant degree in a connected field from a college or university is still important, companies have fine-tuned their searches of electronic résumés to concentrate on specifics that make other factors just as or more important than academic history. This is something that was too time-consuming for companies to do with print résumés.

However, this is not to say that the print résumé is completely dead. Many smaller companies do not have the technological wherewithal to conduct sophisticated electronic searches based on keyword searches and other algorithms and thus still depend on print résumés that they review the old-fashioned way, often while meeting the applicant in person. Additionally, depending on the size of the company and your previous contact with hiring personnel, it is always a good idea when going in for an interview to bring a hard copy of your résumé in case the interviewer does not have immediate access to it electronically. In such cases, applicants should adhere to the often-heard recommendations of printing the résumé on plain white or off-white paper of 16- to 20-pound bond. The physical appearance of your résumé, in these circumstances, still matters.

If you are submitting your résumé to a mid-sized or large company, particularly if such a company has anything do to with technology, you likely will not need to worry about a print résumé. Instead, your attention should be focused on the content of your résumé, making sure that the optimum keywords have been used and that other factors that are a priority in electronic submissions have been considered.

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