You’re sitting in a waiting room, waiting for an interview. Your next opportunity is just beyond the walls you’re intently staring at. You’re led to a conference table and then all of a sudden you get hit with “Tell me about yourself.”
You go on with your spiel, knowing your interviewer is analyzing every word coming out of your mouth, looking for the keywords in their job description.
All of a sudden, you reply with, “Let me show you my website.”
POOF. You’re already more impressive than a chunk of the other people interviewing for the job. Why? Because you presented a deliverable that allows someone to get to know you. You’re social media is linked, there are samples of your work, and your hobbies are even showcased on there somewhere. They know you before they even get to the “About Me” page.
Here’s why you need to make sure you not only have a website but that it’s awesome:
You are your own brand. It doesn’t matter what your major is, you’re always selling yourself as a working professional looking for opportunities, and that can be easily marketed as a brand. As a brand, you should have a logo for your resume, several social media accounts, and some sort of manifesto, whether it be a “This is what I’m passionate about” sort of deal or an actual story about yourself that you want to tell.
P.S. You should have personal business cards that match your website. If you do, you’re one step ahead of the game.
Nowadays, you don’t even need to hire a web designer to do this! You can do it yourself with a couple of free hours and a sense of your vision. Here are a few tools you can use to make sure you have a stellar site:
Wix
A free platform, Wix allows you to build websites using predetermined templates that you can manipulate with endless possibilities.
SquareSpace
Similar to Wix, this is yet another great option that lets you build out a website from a template.
WordPress
Good for blogs especially, this is a great way to get your ideas out there for everyone to see.
Once you’re done making an amazing website, be sure to connect it to a custom domain. This costs about $ 15 for the whole year and makes a huge difference when printed on your business cards or linked to your social media. Remember, keeping your URL consistent with your social media can make it easier to remember and generate more clicks.
Finally, share that bad boy on your social media, especially Facebook and LinkedIn. These are the platforms people view most when considering someone for a job. Be sure that your profile pictures are all consistent and your cover photos match your website.
Once you’ve talked the talk, walk the walk, and posted your masterpiece, it’s time to suit up and chase those opportunities.
Go get em’, tiger.
