Just like any college senior, a big part of my life has consisted of job hunting. During a recent search I made an interesting observation. On one of the applications, the only requirement was a link to a personal website/portfolio.
Now, while I have grown accustomed to providing links to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (and even heard of making an online profile), I have never seen it as the only method of applying. This led me to one simple question: are online profiles the future of the job search?
Building an online profile provides several benefits over the traditional resume and allows applicants to stand out in a competitive job market. Applicants are not only able to list their work, but they also can show it visually. It also provides simplicity for those who are doing the hiring, by eliminating the process of photocopying stacks of papers to share the resumes of potential candidates, for example.
Users are able to bring together representative pieces such as pictures, videos and published works all in one place, along with the added advantage of showing basic web design knowledge. Building a website has become easier than ever, with tools like Wix, OPResume and even WordPress doing most of the work for you through customizable templates.
Portfolios can include links to other pages, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This allows all of the information on a traditional resume, plus the simplicity of clicking to view other resources.
One snag in using a program such as Wix is that since the user is not paying for hosting, the domain name remains in the program’s name (e.g. name.wix.com). Fortunately, this is more detrimental for a business website than for a personal portfolio.
Another concern is how to customize the portfolio for each job that the applicant applies for. One way to address this issue is by writing a specific cover letter to the employer, while keeping the portfolio specific to the field of work the applicant is interested in.
This new method of showcasing work and skills provides the applicants more flexibility in what they choose to show off, and it represents a shift in the world of job hunting.