The links in this post have been updated as of Feb. 6, 2014.
Gone are the days when a paper resume and well-written cover letter would suffice in applying for a new job. Today, an eye-catching professional e-portfolio — one that showcases your experience, skills, and work — is practically required if you want to set yourself apart from the pack. Innovative admins who really want to get a prospective employer’s attention take this one step further by creating a digital resume.
An online resume enriches your e-portfolio, provides easy and convenient access to your information, and demonstrates your technical prowess to current and prospective employers. And, thanks to a new, innovative class of online digital resume tools, creating yours is easier than ever. If you want to make a big impression professionally, consider giving one (or all!) of these online resume sites a try.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social media platforms with more than 200 million registered users worldwide (as of January 2013). It’s also one of the most popular online resume options out there, and features profiles that look very similar to traditional paper resume. Creating your profile involves uploading your contact information, current and previous job experience, and a photo. You can also add various job skills to your profile, as well as links to personal and professional websites, such as your professional e-portfolio, other social media platforms, or a blog. Once your profile is complete, you can connect with friends, colleagues, and professional acquaintances, who can provide recommendations for work you’ve done and endorse your skills.
Visual.ly: Visl.ly uses the information on your LinkedIn profile to create a visual resume from your professional information. Select one of the site’s five free resume templates and connect your LinkedIn profile. Visual.ly imports all the information from your profile and creates a visual resume that you can download, share on social media sites, embed in a website, or link to from other digital documents, such as you professional e-portfolio. The site only imports information included in your LinkedIn profile, and doesn’t allow users to customize their visual resumes. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile or it’s incomplete, this option might not be the best for you. But if yours is complete, it’s an excellent option for creatively displaying your resume information.
About.me: This free platform allows you to create a dynamic splash page that features your name, contact information, bio/resume, photo, as well as links to your social media profiles and accounts. You can choose from a variety of backdrops, customize page and text colors, and select different fonts for text. The site doesn’t require users to sign up for any other social media sites, so About.me is an ideal choice if you don’t want to deal with multiple sign-ups or importing a lot of information. You can even order free custom about.me cards featuring your name, info, about.me URL, and a QR code.
A digital resume is a great way to enhance your e-portfolio and provide prospective employers with easy access to your information. It’s also a quick and simple way to establish a professional digital presence while you’re working on your e-portfolio. Don’t get passed on for your dream job or a big promotion because of a lack-luster resume. Make a statement by creating a dynamic digital resume to include in your professional e-portfolio!
© 2013 Julie Perrine International, LLC
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Julie Perrine, CAP-OM, is the founder and CEO of All Things Admin, providing training, mentoring and resources for administrative professionals worldwide. Julie applies her administrative expertise and passion for lifelong learning to serving as an enthusiastic mentor, speaker and author who educates admins around the world on how to be more effective every day. Learn more about Julie’s books — The Innovative Admin: Unleash the Power of Innovation in Your Administrative Career and The Organized Admin: Leverage Your Unique Organizing Style to Create Systems, Reduce Overwhelm, and Increase Productivity. And request your free copy of our special report “From Reactive to Proactive: Creating Your Strategic Administrative Career Plan” at www.AllThingsAdmin.com.
