Death of a Salesman's Resume
It’s official: the days of the one-page Word doc resume being your golden ticket to a new job are over.
In fact, the traditional resume is starting to look a lot like Willy Loman, outdated, one-dimensional, and tragically irrelevant in today’s hiring landscape. If you’re serious about getting hired in 2025, your social presence is just as important as your professional experience, maybe even more so.
A static document listing your job titles, dates, and duties is no longer enough. Today’s recruiters, hiring managers, and decision-makers aren’t just reading resumes, they’re researching people.
Your Resume Says What You Did. Your Social Media Says Who You Are.
The difference between a traditional resume and a “social resume” is simple:
Traditional Resume = What you’ve done
Social Resume = Who you are, how you think, and how you show up in the world
As a recruiter, executive coach, and business strategist, I’m not just hiring a skill set, I’m hiring a culture fit. I want to know what drives you. How you solve problems. What your communication style is like. What you care about. And the fastest way for me to see that isn’t in your resume, it’s in your LinkedIn posts, your shared content, your blogs, and even your digital body language.
And if I can’t find you online? You may not even make it to round one.
Employers are looking, and judging, based on your social presence
Don’t take my word for it. Recent surveys from CareerBuilder, SHRM, and Jobvite all show the same trend:
Over 80% of employers are actively using social media to screen candidates. That includes LinkedIn, yes, but also Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and personal blogs.
If you’re invisible online, or worse, careless with your presence it, ’s like showing up to an interview in sweatpants with no resume. You’re done before you start.
For older professionals, non-digital natives, or those who “don’t do social,” this might sound intimidating. But here’s the good news: your social resume is fully within your control. And when done right, it can actually reverse the job search process.
Your social resume: The digital billboard that works for you
A well-curated LinkedIn profile is no longer optional. It’s your homepage, your pitch deck, your reputation, and your network, rolled into one.
Here’s what your social resume should include:
A clear, keyword-rich headline and about section
Recommendations and endorsements that validate your skills
Media (videos, posts, articles) that reflect your expertise
Active engagement: commenting, sharing, posting regularly
Consistent messaging across all platforms
Unlike a resume that sits in a file or ATS black hole, your social profile works for you 24/7. It can be found, shared, referenced, and even reach employers you’ve never met.
Better yet, it allows you to tell your story, not just list your past. What kind of culture do you thrive in? What impact do you want to make? What kind of leader or collaborator are you?
Blogging and Video: Your secret weapons
Want to stand out? Show, don’t tell.
Write a blog post on your area of expertise. Share an insight, a lesson, or a trend you’ve observed. This shows clarity of thought and depth of knowledge.
Post a video introducing yourself or discussing a topic you care about. People want to see your presence, not just read your bullet points.
Comment with substance on posts from industry leaders. It signals that you’re informed and engaged.
The more you contribute, the more visible, and credible, you become.
Make sure it all aligns
This should go without saying, but your traditional resume and your digital footprint must match. Dates of employment, titles, companies, it all needs to be consistent. One mismatch and you risk looking sloppy, or even dishonest.
Remember, recruiters notice details. And with digital tools, we will find the gaps.
The Bottom Line: Brand Yourself or be like Willy……………..forgotten.
In a noisy, competitive job market, you need more than experience, you need visibility and relevance. You need to brand yourself with the same intention and clarity as the companies you want to work for.
If you’re still hoping that a Word doc uploaded to an online portal is going to change your life, think again.
Don’t be the greatest salesperson, engineer, strategist, or operator nobody’s ever heard of. Be the person who shows up, online and off, as a confident, credible expert with something to say.
If you don’t control your professional narrative, someone else will, or worse, no one will ever see it.
Need help building your digital presence or personal brand? I work with executives, consultants, and high-performance professionals to get noticed, get found, and get hired. Reach out. Let’s modernize your job search.
