One of the great things about my role at Workfolio is that I get to hear the stories of how a personal website has benefited people in their careers. I’ve heard stories of personal websites helping people land jobs, secure new clients, get found by the press, impress their bosses, and demonstrate thought leadership. Despite the growing list of success stories about personal websites, many professionals still don’t have their own websites.
WATCH: The Science Of Personal Websites For Career Advancement with Charles Pooley
Here are the most commons reasons we hear why people still don’t have a personal website:
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Charles Pooley
Charles Pooley is the Founder & CEO of Workfolio, a company that develops applications for professional visibility.
It’s the start of a new year and you have probably set some new career goals for yourself. Whether you’re looking for a new job, working to move up within your organization, or starting your own business, building a strong personal brand will help you get the best possible results. Webinar: The Science Of Personal Websites For Career Advancement Your personal brand encompasses a number of things, from wardrobe to resume to LinkedIn profile, but your web presence is easily the most visible piece and needs the most care. Thankfully, it’s also one of the easiest aspects of your brand to improve. Here are three ways that will help you improve your online personal brand:
<h4>1. Get A Professional Headshot</h4>
Social networking accounts have become, in many ways, your extended resume. Many employers now ask for your LinkedIn profile along with your resume (and oftentimes they’ll find it without telling you they’re looking). LinkedIn and Facebook also power many other applications, oftentimes taking your profile picture with the rest of your data. The result? For better or worse, your face is <i>everywhere</i>.
Most people have pictures that check the minimum acceptability boxes: the subject of the photo is identifiably human and not visibly involved in illegal activities (at least at the time of the photo). This approach won’t prevent a person from getting an interview, but it represents a missed opportunity to impress.
By getting your own professional headshot, you are making a statement that you care about your appearance (and your career, by extension) and sending a message that you have a standard of quality and professionalism that you uphold in everything you do. This can be the determining factor that helps you rise to the top of the resume pile or get called back for the second-round interview. Here are some photo specifics:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Avoid the local family portrait studio -- find a photographer who specializes in executive headshots. Check out photographers’ portfolios online before you schedule an appointment.</li>
<li>Make sure your photo is tasteful and flattering (your eyes are fully open, your facial expression conveys confidence and sociability).</li>
<li>Have at least one photo taken on a solid white or gray background. Anything lighter than solid black will work.</li>
<li>Outdoor shots and cityscapes can work well, but make sure to have at least one great studio shot, as well.</li>
<li>Make sure your photographer can touch up your photos without them being obviously edited.</li>
<li>Crop your headshot photo just below the shoulders and just above, or below, the top of your head.</li>
</ul>
<h4>2. Spruce Up Your E-mail Signature</h4>
According to a study by the Radicati Group we send, on average, 40 business e-mails each day. That represents 40 opportunities to stand out to potential employers, clients, or partners. The best signatures give the e-mail recipient your name, company, title, and contact information, which can be looked up for quick reference in the future.
It’s both a courtesy to the people with whom you communicate and a badge of professionalism that shows that you know your way around the business world. Many signatures could go even further to serve your goals, however, and here are some tips to make the most of your communication:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Insert a call-to-action for the recipient. If you are looking for a job in sales, you might write “Looking to join a company and immediately impact the top-line”. If you’re a self-employed CPA, you might say “Helping people make tax season stress-free since 1990.” You never know who might be in a position to hire you or help you, or who might see that note and remember a friend of theirs could use your skills.</li>
<li>Provide links to your personal website, blog, and/or relevant social media profiles. People you interact with will often look for more information about you and this makes it easy for you to direct them to the resources that present you in the best light.</li>
</ul>
<h4>3. Create A Personal Website</h4>
According to research we’ve done at <span>Workfolio</span>, 56% of HR professionals think a personal website is the most impressive self-promotion tool a job applicant can have. This is also the tool that few people in non-technical roles currently have. A website allows you to create a space that’s 100% yours, not “renting” space from a social network, where you have control over the content and appearance. Use this space to tell the story of your career, showcase your accomplishments, and build a community around your writing. Here are tips for getting started with a personal website:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>If you are not technically inclined, explore website builder tools that take care of the coding for you. Spend time on writing good content, not setting your website up.</li>
<li>Tell a story around the items on resume as a starting point and build out content from there. You should explain who you are, what you’ve done, and where you want to go, at the minimum. Some tools also offer the ability to import content from social media profiles to make this even easier.</li>
<li>You can also use this space to get a bit more personal than you can on your resume -- talk about your hobbies and interests, as long as they’re not inappropriate for work or potentially off-putting.</li>
<li>Make a point to visually highlight your major career achievements and quantifiable results. You can do this through larger font sizes or unique visual features.</li>
<li>Get a custom domain that is as close to your name as possible. This helps people find you when they are searching for you using search engines.</li>
<li>Place links to your website on social media and in your e-mail signature.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Watch This Webinar!</h3>
Join us for the special presentation on to learn about The Science of Personal Websites for Career Advancement. <strong>Presenter:</strong> Charles Pooley, Founder & CEO of Workfolio, Forbes Best Website for Your Career Award Winner. <strong>Cost:</strong> FREE!
<a class="button-green" href="http://www.workitdaily.com/personal-websites-for-career-advancement/">WATCH NOW ►</a>
<i>This post was originally published at an earlier date.</i>
<span class="credit">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock</a></span></div>
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It’s well documented that social media has revolutionized how we communicate in our personal and professional lives. For professionals, being active on social networks has become an expectation. Webinar: The Science Of Personal Websites For Career Advancement Universities and employers are increasingly using social networks like LinkedIn as part of “cyber-vetting” during the application process. It’s important to have a presence on major social networks, but because you’re expected to have these profiles as a baseline, having them is no longer enough to make you stand out. Here are three reasons why social media is not enough to build your personal brand online:
<h3>Social Networks Are Not Available Everywhere</h3>
According to a 2012 study, 26% of U.S. companies block or restrict access to social media sites. Another study reports that an astounding 59% of companies worldwide block social media sites. There is also growing number of countries that ban social media sites altogether (for more, search the web for “countries that ban social media”). What does this mean for you? Potential employers or clients may not be able to access your social profiles, and if that is your only presence on the Web, they won’t be able to find you at all.
<h3>Everyone’s Packaging Is The Same</h3>
Marketers know that packaging design is an important component of branding. Packaging communicates a product’s value and differentiating features to the market. If you think about your own shopping habits, you can probably recall at least one time when you passed up on a product in favor of a competing product with a more interesting box.
The same logic applies when schools, companies, and potential clients are evaluating candidates. Social networks typically don’t give you much control over the “packaging” of your profile, such as your colors, fonts, or arrangement of content, which leaves you with something that looks almost identical to everyone else’s and a missed opportunity to stand out.
<h3>It’s Not Only About You</h3>
Social networks make some of their money by selling ads in the space that appears next to user content. As much as two thirds of your profile page (and sometimes more, depending on the site) is dedicated to ad space or other profiles. This “other” content competes for the attention of the person viewing your page and often draws them to other places, which can include the profiles of other potential applicants or vendors.
<h3>What You Can Do</h3>
Traditionally, authors, athletes, politicians, and other prominent public figures have created websites as an end destination for all their self-promotional efforts, from paid ad campaigns to social media activity. These websites allow visitors to learn more about the person in a way that makes sense for them and on their schedule. Because of the cost and difficulty involved in setting up a high-quality website, it is a tool that has typically been reserved for affluent public personalities.
In recent years, however, new technology has taken the historically difficult task of creating a website and made it accessible to everyone. Several tools exist that allow you to set up attractive websites, control the placement and display of your content, and even create a community with a blog. It has never been easier or less expensive to create the online “home” that every brand needs.
Social media is a powerful networking tool, but we are long past the days when it can be used to help you stand out in a meaningful way. Professionals should explore investing in a personal website to stand out and get ahead in their careers.
<h3>Watch This Webinar!</h3>
Join us for the special presentation on to learn about The Science of Personal Websites for Career Advancement. <strong>Presenter:</strong> Charles Pooley, Founder & CEO of Workfolio, Forbes Best Website for Your Career Award Winner. <strong>Cost:</strong> FREE!
<a class="button-green" href="http://www.workitdaily.com/personal-websites-for-career-advancement/">WATCH NOW ►</a>
<i>This post was originally published at an earlier date.</i></div>
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As a professional, building a successful career has never been more difficult. Not only are there fewer jobs available for a more skilled workforce, but competition for any given job is through the roof. A recent study conducted by CareerBuilder.com found that, in addition to the 8% unemployment rate, 77% of people who already have jobs are also looking for their next gig. Related: Why Starting A Blog Could Help Your Job Search Job seekers have to stay sharp if they want to have a chance in this hypercompetitive market. They have to make sure their skills are up-to-date and their resumes are polished, but self-promotion is becoming increasingly important to getting noticed. For an increasing number of professionals, a personal website is the answer. According to research by Workfolio, 56% of people surveyed felt that websites were the best self-promotion tool currently available. Here are some additional reasons why you should start building a personal website:
<h4>1. A Website Improves Your Chances Of Being Found</h4>
A website will make you more visible in search engine results. People searching for you by name as well as people looking for your skills will be more likely to find you.
<h4>2. Most First Impressions Now Happen Online</h4>
According to Google, 80% of people research others online before meeting them for the first time. That number jumps to 95% when talking about employers researching candidates. A beautifully-designed and well-written website gives you the best chance of making that crucial first impression a great one.
<h4>3. A Website Gives Your Content More Attention</h4>
Research has shown that people spend more time on websites than they do on a given social networking profile. Without distractions like ads, third-party branding, and other users’ profiles competing for visitors’ attention, you can take your time to explain yourself and what you are looking for and have the message stick.
<h4>4. A Website Sends A Strong Professional Message</h4>
For years, prominent authors, musicians, politicians, and other personalities have used websites to raise their profiles and provide a place to showcase their careers. Having your own website sends a message that you care about your professional image, and good, relevant content shows you put time and thought into your job.
<h4>5. A Website Lets Your Personality Shine</h4>
Good salespeople know how important it is to make personal connections with their clients. Whether it’s a shared hobby, life philosophy, or experience, making some sort of connection with your audience reminds them that you are a real person. Websites give you a chance to talk about your interests and experiences in a way that is difficult to do on a resume, and gives visitors a number of chances to make those important connections.
<h3>Watch This Webinar!</h3>
Join us for the special presentation on to learn about The Science of Personal Websites for Career Advancement. <strong>Presenter:</strong> Charles Pooley, Founder & CEO of Workfolio, Forbes Best Website for Your Career Award Winner. <strong>Cost:</strong> FREE!
<a class="button-green" href="http://www.workitdaily.com/personal-websites-for-career-advancement/">WATCH NOW ►</a>
<span class="credit">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></span>
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It’s never been more difficult to get ahead in our career. Competition for schools, jobs, promotions, and recognition has never been fiercer. Social media is enabling but crowded. Professionals need something which will help them cut through the clutter and stand out. For many, a personal website is the answer. In this webinar," The Science Of Personal Websites For Career Advancement," Charles Pooley, Founder & CEO of Workfolio, will illustrate:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Hidden competitive realities professionals face today</li>
<li>Why social media is not enough to stand out and build your brand</li>
<li>Why everyone should have a personal website regardless of career stage</li>
<li>How to optimize your personal website for success</li>
<li>Examples of great personal websites</li>
</ul>
<h3>Watch This Webinar!</h3>
Join us for the special presentation on to learn about The Science of Personal Websites for Career Advancement. <strong>Presenter:</strong> Charles Pooley, Founder & CEO of Workfolio, Forbes Best Website for Your Career Award Winner. <strong>Cost:</strong> FREE!
<a class="button-green" href="http://www.workitdaily.com/personal-websites-for-career-advancement/">WATCH NOW ►</a>
<h4><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI5NzA5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDk0MTE3NH0.8jhk3mM7eD_rMD9QIdD0ksK-3m6zs8lDg33HmDT6NIU/img.jpg?width=980" id="84a58" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d6741edf85d240102a73cd361f019ab1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">About The Presenter</h4>
Charles is the Founder & CEO of <a href="http://www.workfolio.com/" rel="noopener">Workfolio</a>, a company that develops applications for professional visibility. Charles speaks and writes frequently on the subjects of design, personal branding, and marketing. Charles has been featured on Bloomberg Television as well as in Forbes, CNBC, US News, and BBC.
Charles has an extensive background in technology and marketing, and at age 30 was one of the youngest public company CIO's in America. His design and marketing work has won numerous awards including a Gold Award from the Interaction Media Association, Corp Magazine Technology Product of the Year, and Best Websites for Your Career from Forbes.
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