The importance of controlling your web presence is only going to keep increasing. Find out how you can bring your traditional resume into the digital world.
If you’ve ever applied for a job, you’re probably well acquainted with the traditional process. You take your standard Microsoft Word resume, write a snazzy cover letter tailored to the job you’re applying for, send the two documents to the company and hope for the best.(If you’re well-connected, you might have a contact who can give you an advantage over the competition.) But the problem with this universal method is that it’s really hard to stand out from the crowd when so many others are sending in two documents that look an awful lot like yours. The upside? You can market yourself with several web-based tools that most people still aren’t fully utilizing. Start working on your web presence today with one or more of the following methods.
Get a personal website
If you don’t have your own website already, I would strongly recommend making one. There are several key benefits that make the time and effort involved worthwhile. If you use your full name and optimize the site correctly, it will be the first result to appear when someone searches for your name. That means that you get to control the first impression you make on a company. This is also an opportunity for you to compile your best work in one place, as well as link to your social media profiles. Finally, even if you don’t think that you need an online presence right now, it can’t hurt to get started early and prevent someone else with the same name from taking the domain.
Make a video resume
If you have your own website, you’ve already got a place to host your own video. If not, sites like Gozaik [ https://gozaik.com/ ]allow you to post videos to your profile. Either way, a video resume is a fantastic way to showcase your personality and skills at the same time. Check out this Mashable article [ https://mashable.com/2011/01/17/tips-video-resumes/ ], which will provide you with some tips for creating an impressive video resume.
Show off your expertise by taking pre-employment tests
An unfortunate reality of traditional resumes is that it’s easy for candidates to lie about or embellish their skills [ https://testupmail.com/common-resume-lies-what-to-look-for/ ] [doing so with no long term repercussions is another story]. Recruiters and HR reps are adapting, and there’s no better way to put your money where your mouth is than by taking pre-employment tests like the ones on TestUP [ https://testup.com/ ]. Go to the the website, find the appropriate skill test, take it, and then put the objective, measurable results on your resume for employers to see.
If you’re not taking advantage of one or more of these readily available self-marketing options, you’re falling behind the curve. The common factor in each of these actions is that they’re all relatively easy and cost-effective. If you’re truly motivated to improve your chances of getting hired, start impressing recruiters with a solid web presence today.
