Resumes

Don't lead with your resume. Value propositions, websites and video clips now draw significantly more attention from decision-makers.

• Letters get up to 6 times the response rate compared to resumes.
• Decision-makers are 50x more likely to visit your website than call you.
• Of those who do visit your website, only 13% look at your resume.

You DO NEED a good resume when you use traditional job-search strategies because you're competing with others to prove that you will do the best job for the lowest salary. When going direct, your resume is FAR less important.

Don't send a resume

In 2006 we tested the "don't send a resume" theory that's been around for many years. We gave clients a free website in exchange for split mailings, with and without a resume. Sending a letter without a resume got from 2 to 6 times the response rate in almost every case, based on tens of thousands of letters.

Resumes come LAST

In 2007 we totaled up the stats on client websites to see which pages the decision-makers were visiting. The results (based on thousands of visitors to many different client websites) were: 100% for the home page, 40% for the About or Bio, 34% for References or Testimonials, 31% for Case Studies, 25% for Volunteer Work, 23% for Contact and 13% for Resume.