Summer break has arrived, which means you’re probably trying to think of things you can do while classes are out. Everyone’s planning summer vacations, ready to get out of town and break out of their normal routine.
You might be one of them, and why not? Summer is the best time to get away. The weather is consistently nice, and you can spend time outside exploring and making new memories.
But summer is also a good time to think about your future. While you’re in class, your mind is preoccupied with deadlines and projects, but during the summer you can put all your focus into building your career.
You don’t need to work overtime to make a great impression with a future boss. All you might need is to do is buff out your resume a bit to get your foot in the door of somewhere you can turn your passions into paychecks.
A great way to make your resume stand out is by creating your own personal website. Everyone can agree that most things are done online now, and applying for jobs is no exception.
Gone are the days when you could walk in and speak with a manager about an open position. Now all you have to show your personality and skill set are the documents you submit online.
Check out some other reasons why you should start a website this summer, and how you can easily go about setting one up.
1. It could make you extra money
Depending on what you put on your website, you could bring in extra cash in the short- and long-term. Products you can sell or even blog posts you write might pull in viewers.
Clicks and views can bring in cash if you have ads on your website or sell things you make. In the long-term, having a website that shows off your skills and proves that you know how to make tech work for you could get you an interview with the right place that wants to hire you.
2. A blog is a good base
Your resume will show potential employers what you’ve done in the past, but it’s not a great way to show them who you are. They’ll go to your website for that. The design of your website and what you put on it will give them a face and personality to match to the resume. That might be all that’s standing in your way between you and a first interview.
To make your website even more personalized, you can use it as a blog. Talk about things that matter to you and write about them in a way that’s easy to read. You can start a blog with just a few easy steps, like choosing a domain name and blogging platform. But how do you know if blogging will be right for you?
Think about some reasons why blogging might be beneficial. It can help you learn networking skills that will be useful for business positions, or you could establish yourself as an expert in what you write about.
If a recruiter sees that you’ve posted fifty times about a topic, it’ll make you look more credible than someone just throwing their resume at the job opening.
Your blog can easily stand in as your personal website, so make sure if you choose to run one that you keep it balanced between something that’s true to who you are and something that will impress professionals at the same time.
A blog that’s too personal might turn away recruiters, and one that’s too cold and professional will look like you’re faking it, even if you actually know what you’re writing about.
3. Portfolios are important
Anyone getting into the creative industry has heard about putting a portfolio together, but now they really need to be done online. They’ll show off your creative work all in one place, and it’ll be much easier for a recruiter to access than waiting for it to be mailed in. You can set it up in a matter of minutes, too!
Once you choose your web hosting site and domain name, you can use WordPress to set up a website without needing to know coding. Choose a theme and customize how your site looks, and you’re good to go.
Your posts can be all artwork or published work, and you can create different sections for things like talking about who you are and what you hope to accomplish.
4. Virtual resumes are critical
You might have your resume uploaded somewhere on the internet, but basic online resume platforms won’t know how to show off your accomplishments quite like you can. You’ll want to make your hard work stand out, which is why there are tons of free website builders you can choose from to set up your website.
Center it around what you’ve done and make sure to link to your social media. It’ll seem more personable and give even more context for your recruiters to remember.
5. Use the summer to get ahead
During the school year, you don’t have a lot of free time on your hands. Breaks like the one you have over the summer is an ideal time to catch up and relax a bit — but it should also be used to think ahead. That’s why you should consider building your own website over the next few months.
Recruiters will be impressed you had the initiative to set up your own site, and they’ll appreciate getting to know the person behind the resume. You’ll stick in their mind more easily and give them more to talk about during your interview.
No matter what job you’re going to be applying for, a free personal website can be a great help during your job hunt process.
It’ll only take a few minutes of your time, and then you can get back to spending your days exploring and going on vacation.
