Getting a job is never the easiest endeavor, and while there are lots of tips and tricks to be found wherever you go, hiring managers today care about finding everything about you in one spot so they can make a decision. The best way to make this happen is with a personal website. Creating a personal website is really simple, but including the right information is the difference between humdrum and getting a call from your dream company.
One of the biggest reasons to have a personal website is reputation management. Building a website is pretty easy. Depending on the site builder you use, you probably will not need to know where to get a domain name because the site builder will do it for you. Once you have a site – preferably one with your first and last name – then the next step is knowing what to put on the site.
Building Your Personal Website
Workfolio recently noted that 56% of hiring managers are impressed with personal websites and the part that is most interesting for job seekers is this – only 7% of people seeking work have actually built a personal website. Personal websites let people jump the line and impress hiring managers. Building one is essential, but what are the important things to put on the site?
The first thing hiring managers notice is your personality. A resume is great – and should be included on your portfolio – but the way you design a site and the organization of information tells hiring managers about you. Are you organized? Is the information a manager looks for easy to find? Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager when designing your site. The easier it is for managers to find information, the better your chances are.
Your site will tell the story o how seriously you take your career. Make sure you have resources for hiring managers. Past work samples are great, also have links to your social pages and your LinkedIn. Usually hiring managers will Google a resume and when your site pops up this makes a positive impression on a hiring manager.
A great touch on your site is adding contact forms. Besides your bio and accomplishments, the contact form allows hiring managers to drop you a quick note. With a site that showcases your personality along with having a relevant bio and work samples, hiring managers will see quickly how serious you are about your career and advancement.
Advantages of a Personal Website
Besides having something out of the gate that separates you from 93% of other job seekers, you should know that roughly 80% of job openings do not get advertised, and the number of people applying or a job average 118. Imagine being a hiring manager sifting through the same resume over and over again. Worse yet, only 20% of those who apply actually get called in for an interview. So, if 100 people apply for the job, and 20 are interviewed, it’s important to stand out. Out of that 100, only 7 have a personal website, so that means your odds of getting the job are much better at 1 in 7 instead of 1 in 100 or 1 in 20.
The bottom line is a personal website gives you good odds.
Another advantage of the personal website is the implicit building of a relationship with a hiring manager. The first interview is usually a “Get to Know You” style and your personal website eliminated the need for that. Instead, the company has an idea of who you are and how you will work based on the website.
A personal website also displays your dynamism. Regardless of the job or the industry, it is important to give the impression you are a dynamic, creative employee. There is lots of value to be found in being the person propelling a company forward. Showcasing this value before you are hired is a massive advantage for your chances to be hired.
Finding a Host for Your Personal Website
There are several great hosting services where your site can feature. Three of the most well-known are Weebly, Wix, and WordPress. Depending on the nature of your career, you may want WordPress, especially if your career deals with information technology and computers. Here is what you need to know about each hosting platform.
Wix
Excellent with the different templates that you can use. There are a lot of options with this platform and the best part is the platform is free to use. The sites are really easy to build, so all you need to do is find a proper theme and get to work filling out the different pages.
Weebly
This hosting service requires a little bit more effort. You must be sure to find a great theme, but once you have it, developing the theme and getting your portfolio right is not as simple as it sounds. However, Weebly is really good about offering assistance and their tech support will get you the information you need for your personal website to meet your expectations.
WordPress
This is the most versatile of all the hosting sites, however there is some skill needed to build one of these sites. If you want to utilize WordPress but are unsure of how extensions and plugins work, an easy way to learn is YouTube. There are a ton of tutorials so you can get on the ball fast.
Conclusion
Having a personal website is a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition – especially if you are looking to land a job that’s highly sought. Whether you are new to the job market from college or changing careers in your 40’s, taking the time to create a personal website will pay off. With more interviews come greater job offers with increased salaries and benefits in the offers. So make sure that you take a few hours to build and organize your very own personal website.