Your résumé alone may not be enough to land your next job. There is mounting proof that having a personal website is a powerful way to differentiate yourself and share your softer side.
Sixty-seven percent the human resources professionals surveyed for a recent Domain.ME study said a personal website provides more insight into a candidate than a traditional résumé alone. Here’s why you need a personal website:
1. Your personality shines through your website. Companies receive hundreds of résumés for a single job posting. A personal website provides you with the opportunity to separate yourself from the crowd and highlight in greater detail the assets that make you a desirable candidate. According to the Domain.ME study, nearly one third of the 300 HR professionals surveyed agreed that a personal website can provide a competitive advantage for job seekers in the market for a new job.
2. You seem more human when you have a website. A résumé is a sterile document, often void of personal information that shows your interests, how you process information and what motivates you. Due to limitations on how long a résumé should be — either one or two pages — the résumé also lacks the space necessary to tell your full story, unlike the personal website. Sixty-eight percent of the surveyed HR professionals want to learn more about you and are looking for personal qualities that aren’t easily evident on a résumé. Furthermore, half the survey respondents believe a personal website helps to humanize a candidate.
3. A personal website is a tie-breaker. Let’s say you have a personal website listed on your résumé, and another candidate with similar qualifications doesn’t. What helps recruiters make a decision on who to call? Four in 10 surveyed recruiters would be more inclined to contact a candidate with the personal website when considering two candidates with seemingly equal qualifications.
4. You can write your way to your new job. If writing is a strength, and perhaps a major component of the jobs you are pursuing, flaunt it. Providing samples of your work is evidence recruiters can see and evaluate. You can add written content to your personal website, submit and article to a professional association you belong to or even add a long post to your LinkedIn profile. According to the study, more than 25 percent of recruiters feel self-authored articles relating to work or volunteer activities could boost a candidates chances.
5. Increase your odds of being found. Many recruiters find themselves searching online for the perfect candidate. Branded.me When you have a personal website, that small piece of digital terrain you own could turn up in a recruiter’s search results. Savvy recruiters realize they can’t completely rely on a résumé database, and the survey findings back this up. More than half of recruiters conduct an active online search in addition to considering online résumé submissions.
6. An online presence is the wave of the future. Get a jump start on this growing trend. Branded.me research shows that only 4 percent of people currently have a personal website, so you’ll stand out as an early adopter of the trend. Plus, you’ll learn a few new skills along the way. in the Domain.ME survey, 83 percent of HR professionals said their jobs will become more dependent on online content over the next five years.
If you are ready build your brand and personal website, you should know that it’s simpler than ever to create a website with easy-to-use tools, such as Branded.me, About.me, Squarespace, WordPress, Weebly and Wix. These are just some of the platforms available that don’t require a lot of technical know-how.
Hannah Morgan writes and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blog Career Sherpa. She is the author of “The Infographic Résumé” and co-author of “Social Networking for Business Success.”
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6 Reasons You Need a Personal Website originally appeared on usnews.com
