Creating Your Own Web Site
Some people choose to create their own Web sites on which to post their resumes. This is particularly useful if you have a portfolio that demonstrates your skills — for example, writing samples or photographs. You can include everything on one site. When creating your own Web page, be sure your employment background is emphasized over all else. It's easy to get carried away with creating a Web page full of elaborate graphics or other links, but your resume should still be the core. Remember also that the home page strategy can backfire. If your design skills are weak and employers aren't impressed, you'll be worse off than before.
Going Live
The first thing you have to do when putting up a Web site is choose a name for it. This is called a domain name (it's the part that goes after the “www” and before the “.com”). You can use your own name or the name of your occupation. Unless your occupation is unusual, it is probably already taken as a domain name. You will have to register your domain name with an Internet registry. When you do that, you will find out if someone else is already using it. InterNIC.com (
Next, you must choose a company to host your Web site. There are many companies that do this. Some Internet service providers (ISPs) offer their subscribers free Web space, so that is a good place to start. If not, search for “web hosting” using a search engine. When you find one that you think you want to use, do another search to find reviews of that service.
Building your Web site comes next. Many hosting services provide free tools that can help you get your site up and running pretty quickly. It's as simple as typing your information into a template. You can also use Web editing software like Microsoft FrontPage to help you design your site.
Finally, you must promote your site. If you make sure to include lots of important keywords on your Web site, specifically on your resume, an employer who puts those terms into a search engine will be more likely to have your site come up in his results. Search engines automatically look for sites on the Web to include in their indexes. You can also submit your site to some search engines. You can usually find instructions for this on a search engine's site.
Multimedia and Video Resumes
Multimedia and video resumes are suitable for certain specialized applications. If you're in a creative field where knowledge of cutting-edge technology is valued, a multimedia or video resume may be effective or even essential.
A multimedia resume takes full advantage of the Web's capabilities by incorporating computer technology like graphics, scanned photographs, sound, and links to other sites. The applicant's information is virtually the same as in a regular resume but in an interactive format. For instance, clicking on an icon may present examples of an applicant's work. This type of resume is usually sent directly to an employer on disk or posted on an online resume database. Check out resumes posted online for ideas regarding design and content. (You can do a search on a search engine like Google or Yahoo! for “multimedia resumes.”)
Video resumes are generally in the form of dialogues or “question and answer” formats, in which an off-camera participant asks the candidate questions regarding his background. The video itself is short — usually no longer than five minutes, or the equivalent of a three-to-five-page resume.
The simplest advice to give someone considering using a multimedia or video resume is to know your audience. Send it only to companies on the leading edge, where your technological know-how and creativity will be appreciated. Before sending such a resume, call to find out if the company will accept it and if they have the equipment to view it.
