Alternatives to Traditional Resumes for Jobseekers with Disabilities: A Brief Report

Abstract

Background

Finding employment is a complex task and traditional means of job seeking such as submitting a traditional resume may be ineffective and inaccessible for some people with disabilities.

Objective

Identify the scope of literature related to documenting any outcomes associated with using alternatives to traditional resumes for people with disabilities. Method: A scoping review was conducted, and studies that met inclusion criteria were coded for information on participants and context, type of resume alternative utilized in the study, research design, research quality, and findings.

Results

Seven studies identified in the scoping met full inclusion criteria. Most studies were non-experimental, focused on the use of video resumes or video CVs, and did not meet American Psychological Association's journal article reporting standards. Results also suggest there are benefits for people with intellectual disability to participate in the process of creating a video resume.

Conclusion

Challenges securing adequate employment persists for people with disabilities. Research on any benefits of using a resume alternative for people with disabilities is in its infancy. Findings from this scoping review cannot, in conglomeration, confirm that there are benefits when implementing these alternatives, however, findings from this review suggest the use of resume alternatives warrant further investigation.