7 Dos and Don’ts of a Professional Website

Having your own website can be a boon for job hunters as more and more companies turn away from traditional resumes and vet candidates based on their online presence. Here’s how to create one the right way.

Author:: Jeanine Skowronski
Publish date:: Feb 6, 2012 7:00 AM EST

More and more companies are turning away from traditional resumes and looking at your online presence instead to vet you for a possible job. As such, having your own website can increase your chances of scoring a position. “Employers are moving away from a one-dimensional to two-dimensional resume to a three-dimensional approach,” says Bruce Hurwitz, president of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing in New York. “It’s good to have one now. In 10 years, probably everyone will need one.” A website will only help if it’s created correctly, though. Here’s what to do – and what not to do – when putting yours together. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Like a quality resume, the website should be devoid of typos and misspellings, clutter and inaccurate or misleading information. It should also illustrate that some time and effort was put into the formatting, which means those who don’t know anything about making a website shouldn’t try to do so on their own, says Jason Carney, director of human resources at WorkSmart Systems, a human resources outsourcing firm. Photo Credit: Getty Images

If you just put together the website and forget about it, the project may appear abandoned, incomplete or irrelevant, which could make prospective employers doubt the quality of your work performance. Instead, “update facts often,” Carney says. “But don’t tweak skills.” This could come off as disingenuous, since it gives the impression you are changing the information on the website to cater to all of the jobs you are applying to. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Regardless of technological advancements, some employers will still want to see a resume in written form. As such, it helps to include a downloadable PDF of your resume on the website so employers will be able to get all the information they require in a single visit, Zupan says. Photo Credit: Getty Images

You may want to remove this PDF once your job search is over. In fact, “kill your online resume altogether,” Carney says, since not doing so may “send some strange signals” to your new employer or even your new co-workers. Photo Credit: Getty Images

When setting the tone of the website – for instance, you may be torn between writing your bio in first- or third-person – it helps to stick to what feels right to you and your industry, Hughes says. This allows the site to act as a natural cultural screening and increase your chances of finding an employer you click with. “Stylistically, it will appeal to the places you belong,” she says. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Similar to the rules regarding the professional use of Twitter or Facebook, “don’t put up anything that gives an impression you’re not looking to give,” Zupan says. For example, Hurwitz says photos should always be conservative and not include anyone other than the person owning the domain name (for instance, no group photos from that last big party you and your crew attended). Additionally, “negativity is never good,” Hughes says, since it isn’t valued in the workplace and won’t help your quest for a new position. Photo Credit: Getty Images

The paper resume is still a favorite among many employers, but the rules have changed during the past few years. Find out what yours should look like in the MainStreet roundup, “10 Resume Rules: Fact or Fiction?” Photo Credit: psd

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Establishing Your Domain

More and more companies are turning away from traditional resumes and looking at your online presence instead to vet you for a possible job. As such, having your own website can increase your chances of scoring a position. “Employers are moving away from a one-dimensional to two-dimensional resume to a three-dimensional approach,” says Bruce Hurwitz, president of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing in New York. “It’s good to have one now. In 10 years, probably everyone will need one.” A website will only help if it’s created correctly, though. Here’s what to do – and what not to do – when putting yours together. Photo Credit: Getty Images