As the recession continues, more and more job-hunters are competing for fewer and fewer jobs. If you’re looking for a better job—or simply a job—it make sense to present the best-looking résumé you can, keeping in mind that a great résumé will not get you a job, only a job interview (or just a phone call or e-mail).
Many job-hunters are now creating online résumé sites, to make a better impression on potential employers. As noted in The Wall Street Journal (4/30/09), “Online résumé sites claim to help people stand out by helping them create a Web site of their professional experience. The services let users present a portfolio of work and a detailed job history, including uploaded images—much more than a traditional paper résumé would allow. The sites can be tricked out with different fonts, colors and templates. Some services charge a fee, but all give you a Web site of your portfolio that you can e-mail to recruiters” (as an attachment).
A writer for the Journal tried out four of these services and considered the totally free one, VisualCV, to be the best, the easiest to use, and the most visually appealing. It has clear instructions, numerous font and color choices, and was easy to navigate by HR people. The sites were also evaluated by a career coach and CEO of a New York City recruiting company, who commented: “When it comes to a résumé, substance trumps style, so fancy Web sites aren’t a substitute for knowledge, skills and abilities. In this challenging environment, a (good) Web-based version and a thorough LinkedIn profile is a smart complement to a paper résumé.
