6 Things To Include And Exclude On A Personal Website

So you’re thinking about building a personal website? Congratulations, you’re on the right track to a more successful future! Here at Two Way Resume, we make the process easier than ever by providing a step by step “Getting Started Checklist” to build the perfect personal website. With that said, the question still comes up: “What do I include (and not include) on my personal website?”. Today we break down what employers and clients are hoping to see, as well as what they’re not!

Sell Yourself (Elevator Pitch) In Your Introduction Area

Don’t skimp on your introduction paragraph. It should be more than a brief explanation of your background and where you hope to go. It should be an elevator pitch, selling yourself to the potential employer or client. People want to see that you can close, that you can finalize a deal no matter what realm of a career you are in. “During our anonymous analytics tracking of Two Way Resume users, we found that the average user spends under one minute writing their introduction paragraph”, says Cabe Nolan, founder of Two Way Resume. He continued, “In reality, this is one of the most important sections of your entire website, it is the critical point at which a reader decides if they want to move on to the rest of your resume and portfolio or turn around and move onto the next applicant.”

Avoid The Fluff That Is Your Life Story

While you want to sell yourself, you don’t want to bore the user into moving on. Get to the important facts, don’t ramble on about your life story and every detail that happened along the way. These recruiters and hiring managers are busy, your personal website should get to the point about your strengths.

Utilize Your Portfolio

A portfolio to a creative professional is their lifeline to success. They treat it like they would a prized possession and show it off everywhere they go. However, many professionals in other lines of work would argue that a portfolio doesn’t apply to them. WRONG. Even if you are not in the visual field a portfolio could be the difference between that dream job you’re shooting for. Are you a writer? Upload writing samples! Are you a magician? Embed a video of you performing. Are you in business development or accounting? Write a case study that explains how you helped a business. Portfolios apply to nearly every line of work. Creating this kind of quality content about yourself will be a huge asset for years to come.

Don’t Go Overboard With The Portfolio

Your portfolio should be your showcase of work. The best of the best. More than likely a hiring manager is only going to click on one or two of your portfolio items. Do you want to risk the chance he’s going to open the one item that is still a work in progress? Or a portfolio item that was only so-so and not your best work? Choosing the best portfolio items is essential to a great personal website.

Include A Great Blog

Companies want to know who you are as a person. They want to know your outside of work activities and hobbies. Company culture is very important, if you are not going to mesh with the existing staff, you will probably quit. This creates turnover and costs companies thousands of dollars. A blog is great (and professional) way to share your activities with potential employers. A well written and full featured blog can go a great way in selling you!

Don’t Let It Get Stale

Here’s the catch – If you start a blog, you have to keep it going! The only thing worse then no blog at all, is a stale blog that has not been updated in over two years. If your blog has not been updated recently, visitors will assume your site has not been either, therefore eliminating the entire usefulness of the site. Make an executive decision prior to starting a blog whether you will have the time and ability to write on a monthly basis. If the answer is no, you’re better off excluding point 5 from your list.

Overall, a personal resume and/or portfolio website is the #1 most impressive tool an applicant or creative individual can have in marketing themselves to the world. Not only can this service help you find a career now, it can also assist in establishing your online presence forever. Make the long term commitment and start a personal website today, you won’t regret it!