Establish your own Web presence. A personal website, blog, or Facebook page can be an effective way to augment the dry, professional information people glean from a résumé or corporate profile. They allow you to tout career achievements, provide examples of your work, and showcase personal information that enhances your professional image.
Human resources consultant Gerry Crispin recently advised a job-hunting nephew to build a Web page that would highlight the volunteer vacations he's taken, along with a multiyear project he undertook to hike the entire Appalachian Trail before finishing high school. "They demonstrate leadership and the ability to set and meet objectives," Crispin says. "And they reflect core values that would impact the kind of company he would work for."
Create a 21st-century résumé. Forget the heavy bond paper and mass mailings you once relied upon—it only shows you're out of touch. Instead, deliver your résumé electronically—it demonstrates how tech-savvy you are.
In your electronic résumé, add hyperlinks that allow a reader to click onto a Web page you might want them to see, such as your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, or personal website. You might also want to include a link to your company's website, especially if it's a small firm the employer might not know, or to white papers, articles, or blogs you've written that are posted elsewhere. If you've received favorable press coverage, point that out, too.
If you do add hyperlinks, make sure it won't waste an employer's time or make you look silly. A few select photos showing you fulfilling your dream of hiking through Nepal or finishing a marathon will make you look goal-oriented and multi-dimensional. Five pages of photos showing you wearing mouse ears and riding the teacups at Disney World won't (unless, of course, you're applying for a job at Disney).
