Success is not achieved solely by your skills. More often than not, it is connecting with the right people that make a good career. This is not a new concept, though. People have been networking since humans learned to communicate. The best thing about the internet era is that you don’t have to approach every notable and influential person in the industry you are in, you just need to publish content that would amplify your online presence. There are many ways to get to the right people, and two of them are LinkedIn and your own resume website. Here is an easy step-by-step guide to building a personal website.
LinkedIn is a social network designed for people looking to build their career connections or those looking for new job opportunities. If you belong to any of these two categories, having a profile on this platform is highly recommended. LinkedIn started in 2003 and now has millions of members. Using this platform, you can build your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and get connected with the people you have already worked with. Now you’re probably asking, “If I have a LinkedIn account, do I need to build a separate resume website?”
Job search and human resource recruitment have evolved so much in this generation that an online profile has become a necessary tool in landing jobs. HR personnel has been known to use the Internet to search for the online profiles and social media pages of potential employees and use this information to form decisions on whether or not a candidate is a perfect fit for the company. Some HRs would even check out your Facebook and Instagram accounts to see if your personality and lifestyle suit their company’s values and principles. With that said, think before you click. There are many benefits in integrating social media and Facebook feed on personal resume websites and physical resumes. Even Instagram has become a lot of artists’ online portfolio now. They carefully curate it to make it look more cohesive and presentable since they most likely include their Instagram account on their resume. Evaluate if you need another account solely to showcase your work or a mix of both to show off that wonderful personality of yours. If you are looking into creating a personal website, this article will help you add social media icons to your site. But if you have to choose between Linkedin and resume websites, the answer depends on what you really want to get from an online profile.
They serve different needs
In terms of purpose, it’s easy to see an overlap between LinkedIn and resume websites. Both have been found to be effective in helping candidates connect with potential employers. They display pretty much the same information - a person’s employment and educational history, relevant skills, and accreditations.
LinkedIn is a social network that allows you to build business connections. As a learning platform, it features industry groups that you can participate in to enrich your knowledge about your skillset. Simply put, LinkedIn is an effective way of getting professionally connected to like-minded individuals and potential employers.
On the other hand, resume websites enable you to create a page that is uniquely yours. If you look at resume websites examples, you’ll find that they are created to reflect the personality of the owner. Different design elements are mixed and matched according to the individual’s specific requirements. Here are the best personal resume websites you can check out and how you can create yours.
Take a look at your physical resume; they are pretty much straight to the point. You will find sections of information that your potential employer needs. Below are the vital details you should put on your resume:
- Personal information
This is where you put your name, address, contact number(s), email address, website, and even your social media accounts. - Profile
Write a brief summary of what you do. Make it short and concise! - Educational Background
Yes, even your educational background is doing networking for you. If you don’t have much experience yet, employers tend to decide if they should hire based on your educational attainment or even the name of your school. Having extensive or exceptional work experience changes the game, though. - Work Experience
Most people would list it according to date, but for creatives, they put their biggest projects first. - Skills
Most people nowadays use graphics and scoring systems to rate their abilities. To avoid redundancy of a word to express how much of an expert you are, use a fun way of presenting your abilities.
Bonus: If you are fluent in more than two languages, add another section for it, if not, you can just include it in your skillset.
- Links
This is crucial for people in the art industry. Put in shortened links of your reel and other videos that showcase your work. The more output you have collaborating with other people, the stronger your credibility becomes.
The same goes for personal resume websites. You have all the necessary information above separated in pages; some combined. And the best thing about online resume websites is that you get to express yourself more! Resume websites are for everyone. Don’t get intimidated by the design aspect, after all, we have been doing presentations for our businesses. Yes, it is as easy as that. Gladly, Strikingly has personal website templates to guide you. Now, you don’t need to hire someone to do it for you, unless you want to. You can bookmark this article, Easy Web Design Tutorial with Strikingly, to help you decide if you should build one.
To illustrate this point, let’s use web designer resume websites as an example. A web designer is a creative person by nature and, while a profile on LinkedIn can help outline his or her relevant work experiences and projects, the simplicity of the page may not be enough to highlight his or her design experience. Using personal resume websites is a more effective way to present portfolios of current and previous works for potential clients to view. Web designers can also customize their website’s look and feel to highlight his capability in this area.
Another example is resume websites for video editors. Editors can build networks and find potential work in LinkedIn, but having a site where you can see their reel right away without having to go to another site will definitely improve the viewer’s experience. The same goes with models, actors, architects, and even businessmen with the potential to build an eCommerce business, with the right design, their resume websites will definitely give their employers the right impression.
Online resume websites are a testament to one’s skill in itself. Where your profile can be diluted in a sea of similar professional pages, even a site created out of a resume website template has the potential to stand out. Check out Top Design Ideas to Inspire You in 2021.
Set up is just as simple as a LinkedIn profile
If you use a resume builder website like Strikingly, you will find that creating personal resume websites is easier than you initially thought. With a site builder, you get a bit more freedom in selecting how your site will look like and the kind of content that it will have to make it more engaging to potential employers. Unlike a LinkedIn profile that limits you to an outline of your career background, online resume websites are a bit more pliable, so you can include your life story, more testimonials from previous clients, and even an actual gallery of previous work if applicable.
Resume websites give employers a better view of their applicants. You can expand your “profile” or “about me” page by adding more highlights on your career and a professionally taken photo of you. A page dedicated to your previous clients will give you more credibility, especially if you have contractual works. An online gallery also helps employers see a better view of your photo and poster works. Check the Elements of a Basic Website Design You Should Know About as your reference and compare it to online resume websites.
It’s still good to have both
Having said that, it’s still advisable to have both a LinkedIn account and an online resume website. These two pages together can help you connect to potential employers and land your dream job while allowing you to connect with like-minded professionals who can enrich your skills. It’s a powerful combination when you take them together, so if you have the time and resources, it’s better to open both.
