People Still Send Paper Resumes?

from the who-are-you-people? dept

I guess it's a product of Silicon Valley culture, but I can't think of anyone who sends paper resumes to job openings any more. However, the folks behind a recent study sound surprised that a whopping 56% of resumes are now sent by email. They sound surprised that the number is so high, while I'm surprised the number is so low.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    AMetamorphosis, 9 Dec 2003 @ 10:44am

    Paper Resume'

    I would imagine that the reason why so many people like myself send a written resume' is because I want a human to look at it.

    I also know that by law, many companies are required to keep written resume's on file for at least a year.

    I usually like to send my resume electronically and then follow up with a well written cover letter AND a paper copy of my resume'.

    This hopefully shows the potential employer than I am seriously interested in the position and willing to take the time to address a letter instead of hoping someone will just key in search words and my resume' " might " pop up ...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Oliver Wendell Jones, 9 Dec 2003 @ 10:46am

    Paper vs Digital

    If you're going to send your resume in a digital form, try to use something like Acrobat .PDF files.

    I tried going through some headhunters a few years back when I grew dissatisfied with my job and I went to a couple of job interviews where the interviewer would ask questions based on my resume and I was like "I did what?" because the headhunter had 'cleaned up' my Word doc resume and changed some job titles around, added additional skills that he felt I should have, etc.

    Also, for some people, especially older people, a nicely printed resume on fine linen paper is nicer than a laser-printed resume on plain white bond paper. Some people simply don't like to read things on screen and prefer hardcopy, and some people like to scribble notes on the page as they go through it. Providing someone with a quality hardcopy ensures that your resume stands out from the crowd.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      LittleW0lf, 9 Dec 2003 @ 1:36pm

      Re: Paper vs Digital

      If you're going to send your resume in a digital form, try to use something like Acrobat .PDF files.

      Every resume I've ever sent to an employer has been on paper, but I think the PDF idea is a good idea. It really depends on who you are sending it to and why.

      I don't know how many times I've trashed e-mails sent to me (why, as I am just a techie,) with .doc resume files attached (even if I used Microsoft Word, I wouldn't open these things.) However, people who send me .pdf files would probably still be trashed, but at least I'd open it and read it.

      Then again, unless I know the person, I will not likely forward it on to my boss, as I've given recommendations before for people I barely knew who were fired weeks later because "they didn't fit in," or had a character flaw. Ends up looking really bad for me, and so unless I know the person, I usually send them a response with a link to my company's HR department.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mark, 9 Dec 2003 @ 11:33am

    44% send paper

    That number would probably be even lower if there weren't so many companies with blanket "no email attachment" policies.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    gluefreak, 9 Dec 2003 @ 1:47pm

    No Subject Given

    The New York Times employment web site only gives you a snail mail address unless you pay a hefty subscription fee. It's very nasty...

    I've only seen one job on there in six months I can apply to, and so I sent a paper resume. As I sent it, though, I thought to myself I had no chance, because other people would be emailing...

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.