Jump Start Your Job Search with A Resume Website
6 Tips to Help You Stand Out

If you’re looking for a new job these days, you already know you’ve got to find fresh ways to stand out from the masses.

To get noticed in 2011 and beyond, it’s great to be online. LinkedIn and Facebook are great. But making your own resume website can set you apart from the rest in a very powerful way – and kick off your job search with a bang.

A site gives you a powerful way to show off all your work, in depth, with personality, instead of just handing over a static list on tasteful cream paper.

We’ve seen everyone from brand-new grads to mid-career experts make awesome sites.  And we’ve got some great tips for yours, so read on.

1. Help your future boss get to know you, quickly.   Keep your navigation simple, and make it easy for anyone to get to what’s important about you. Most people can stick with the following:

• Home page: Your (short) bio. A  30-50 word summary of your experience (think of this as your cover letter to the world). A great-looking headshot.
• Resume page: Your job experience, training, education, references, with as many links as possible. After all, this is the web, so use its powers!
• Portfolio or projects page:  Here’s where you can really shine and go above and beyond. Depending on what you do, this could mean a photo gallery, creative projects, career highlights, or if you’re just out of school, volunteer stints or internships. Videos, graphics, a link to your professional blog – it’s up to you.
• Contact page:  Your contact info. Keep it secure – include your email address and phone, but don’t add anything confidential. Even better – use our Forms Widget to create a “Contact me” form.
• Testimonials, kudos, recommendations page:  Don’t wait for them to ask for references. Lay it all out here. Then let them know they can contact you if they’d like to talk to any of your references.

2. Make a good first impression. Pick a font that’s readable and professional. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just out of school, your font is your voice. So choose one that speaks well for you. No Comic Sans. No script or handwriting fonts. Try Times New Roman, Cambria, Calibri, or another simple, cleanly designed font.

3. Show off your talent. If you’re a writer, a designer, an artist, an architect, or a landscaper, add photos or sketches of your work, before-and-after images of your successes, or samples of your printed work. But even if doesn’t make sense to include images of your work, you can still add logos of companies you’ve worked for or the university you just graduated from.

4. Get your point across clearly. Write simply. Strike a direct, professional, trustworthy tone of voice. Keep it easy to read. Keep it short! Then have someone you trust proof your entire site. Twice.

5. Make a name for yourself. Get a custom domain name.  A memorable, unique domain name can really set you apart, and add professional cachet to your site. You can also use it to create a Yola Mail address, or use our Forms Widget to make a “Contact me” form.

6. Wow them with your expertise. Start a job blog, post about your career interests, show your knowledge – and gain SEO benefits, too.

7. Keep on going! Creating your resume site is just the first step. Add your site’s URL to your LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook profiles. Post it on job boards. Send your link out to potential employers and consulting gigs.

Yola makes it easy to get your resume site up in a flash. In fact, most Yola members tell us they created their sites in just one day.

So go for it. Make your own powerhouse resume website. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!