The old days of writing a resume according to strict rules of formatting and phrasing are slowly fading. Unless you’re in the fascinating business of homeland security, freshening up your resume might be a good idea for you.

Nowadays we see that more and more people are choosing to bring their CV to the web. It’s  not only a practical method to update and distribute a resume, it also gives you an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. So if you think it’s time you brushed up your old CV, why not give it a new look entirely – an online look? And we have some helpful tips to guide you through it:

Keep the Navigation Simple

You want to keep things very simple for your future employers. They should be able to get a quick and solid idea of who you are in minimum time and effort. You can do this by creating a resume with an easy flow and a sensible navigation. We offer the following structure for a successful online resume:

• Homepage with short introduction, basic information and representative photo
• The actual CV page including education, training, work experience and skills
• Portfolio page presenting samples of your work or alternatively, a list of past clients (design it so you can add a link from the CV page to the relevant client or work)
• Recommendations and testimonials page, if available
• Contact page with all the relevant contact information

Write Like a Pro’

Online CV’s are usually not as formal as the classic ones but they still need to serve the purpose of presenting you as a skilled individual. The online format is in itself a fresh, innovative way to present your achievements. Don’t let the webby framework distract you. Using a casual language is certainly fine, but be careful not to push it. You have to maintain a certain level of professionalism so be straightforward, clear and to-the-point.

Add Images

It’s always a good idea to add a photo of yourself to your CV and it is often best to place it on the homepage, alongside with your name. Unless you do modeling or acting or any other line of work that involves your looks, it is best to use only one photo of yourself and not upload your entire Facebook albums.

What you definitely should add is any kind of image that might exhibit your skills – designs, copywriting samples, sketches or even logos of companies that you worked with in the past. Take advantage of the fact that your online resume allows you to add some color. However, we advise you not to add images that are not related to your work experience, even if they really look good on the page.