Personal Resume Websites
Considering creating a personal resume website? Read on below for some FAQs, costs and examples to get your brain rolling.
Resume websites are a great supplement to your job interviews and can help stand out in a crowded marketplace. Embed PDFs, past projects and personal skills to your online resume and you’ll be impressing hiring managers left and right.
Why You Should Create a Personal Resume Website
Wondering why you should create a personal resume website? The whole goal of a resume is to stand out from the crowd. Traditional resumes are becoming less and less effective as employers receive hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of applications for a single job. A personal resume website allows you to put your best foot forward and gives you the opportunity to show off your skills, experience, and personality in a way that a simple paper resume can’t.
Sharing your resume is also 100x easier when it’s a website. You can direct potential employers to your personal resume website with a simple URL, and you don’t have to worry about email attachments or printing copies. All they need is an internet connection, and they can view your resume from anywhere in the world.
Customize Resume Pages Per Employer
Since each employer is different, you may want to consider creating a custom URL for each one that you share your resume with. That way, you can track which employers are looking at your resume and adjust your content accordingly. Downloadable PDFs, relevant case studies, and customized project lists are all great examples of content that you might want to include for a specific employer.
How To Make a Resume Website
Creating a personal resume website is a great way to showcase your skills and experience to potential employers. To create a website, you will need to purchase a domain name and web hosting. You can then use a website builder to create your website.
My recommendation is going to be Siteground for hosting (due to their automated backups and WordPress). Total cost to you might be around $15/month for one of their starter plans. A bit of an investment of course but definitely worth it in the long run.
It’s also helpful to include a variety of information on your website, such as your work history, education, and professional accomplishments. You may also want to include a link to your LinkedIn profile, as well as your current contact information.
How Long Does It Take To Make a Resume Website
Creating a resume for your portfolio or to showcase your work will take some time to complete. You’ll need to gather all of the information you want to include, such as your work history, education, and professional accomplishments.
Once you have all of the content gathered, you can begin creating your website. The amount of time it takes to create a website will vary depending on your experience level and the amount of content you have. However, most websites can be created in a few hours (depending on your experience and platform of choice).
How To Make a Resume Website With WordPress
Making a personal site with WordPress does not have to be difficult. If you have ever used WordPress to make a blog, then you already know the basics of how to use the platform. If you don’t have any experience, no worries – here’s what I recommend:
- Page Building Software: Get yourself a good page building software, Elementor is my recommendation (they have a free version).
- Install a Simple Theme with WordPress, I use the ‘Hello’ theme by Elementor (also free).
- Choose a Design: Either download a page layout that you like or learn to quickly create a landing page that will host all your info (my recommendation is to learn how to build your own, or at least update it).
- Connect Everything: Make sure all buttons and contact forms go where they need to be, Elementor makes all of this easy with their individual widget settings.
That’s it – you’ve now got a personal resume website built on WordPress!If you want to take your website to the next level, you can add additional features and plugins. Some popular plugins that people use are Yoast SEO (to help with your site’s search engine optimization), WPForms (to create contact forms and surveys), and Google Analytics to see where your visitor are exploring on your site.
How Much Does a Personal Resume Website Cost
Costs, these are going to depend on how many bells and whistles you need and whether you are doing it yourself or not. The DIY-route can be as low as a couple hundred for the entire year or you could find an agency who might end up charging a few thousand. A typical spread will look something like $200 – $3000. You can obviously save money by doing it yourself but this might not be the fastest route if you’re not technically-savvy. There are templates out there that help but you’ll still need to know how to install and update them with your content.
(psst..I can help build you a custom one for a few hundred, vs. thousands)
Am I Allowed To Build a Resume Website
Here’s a question, why would you be allowed to?? There are absolutely zero rules for an interviewee and the hiring process, only etiquette.
Sure, you could go into the job interview in your pajamas and slippers…the interview probably won’t last long but it’s not illegal by any means. Of course you probably shouldn’t do this for them to take you seriously but nobody’s dictating the rules, only what’s considered the norm. And if you want to get hired, why stick to the norm?
What To Include On Your Personal Resume Website
Great question. To start, you should definitely list your skills in a fashionable manner. Your job resume website should reflect what values and personality you have.
Remember, this is a place for companies to come back and reference what you have done and what your working process is. They want to learn more about YOU.
Because it’s a dynamic site and not just a piece of paper with your accomplishments, you can also include photos (make sure to include a headshot), videos, and even infographics to really drive home your skillset.
Profile Image
Post a professional headshot image of you.
Contact Forms
Leave the door open for new comments and questions
File Downloads
Embed downloads for quick info and future conversations
Past Awards
List your past accomplishments with icons and more
How To Promote Your Personal Resume Website
Once you have created your personal resume website, you will need to promote it to potential employers and networking contacts. You can do this by adding a link to your website on your LinkedIn profile, sending out email blasts announcing your website, and posting about it on social media sites.
Where To Put Your Website on a Resume
If you are going the traditional paper resume route, you can put the URL of your personal resume website under your name at the top of the page. If you are emailing your resume, you can include the link in your signature line. And, if you are using an online job application system, be sure to include the link in the appropriate field.
Final Personal Resume Website Thoughts
Creating and promoting your personal resume website is a great way to showcase your skillset and experience to potential employers. By including a variety of content, such as photos, videos, and multimedia, you can really drive home your accomplishments. be sure to keep your website up-to-date with the latest information about your career. You can also use your personal resume website as a portfolio of your work or as a blog where you can share your thoughts on various topics. Feel free to get in touch with any questions or if you need help creating yours!
