Prepping for Graduation? Create an Online CV to Get a Leg Up
Graduation season is now commencing, and between the finals, working on speeches and shopping for fancy clothes, senior students should start thinking about the day after. With the job market being more competitive than ever and with rising graduation rates, fresh graduates will find that starting a career is not always easy.
When you leave college and step into “the real world”, you will need to demonstrate skills and abilities that make you stand out from the crowd. Now more than ever, having a professional, creative and impressive CV is necessary to land you a good position in the market, and what better way to impress future employers than presenting them with an outstanding online CV?
You can use one of Wix’s Templates for online CV that already has a great layout for all the elements that you need.
Creating an online CV is great because it shows that you are savvy and up-to-date. It also allows you to display your skills and experience in a flexible and unique manner. But there are still guidelines you need to follow in order to make sure that your online CV is presenting you as a respectable professional.
Here are the Wix tips for creating a terrific online CV:
Reflect Your Professional Image
Take some time and think about what message you want to convey regarding your professional self through your CV. This is important because if you don’t decide who you are, potential interviewers will make their own assumptions based on what you give them. Your CV doesn’t have to be square and bland to be professional, it needs to incorporate your personal touch and reflect your individuality.
Here are 2 examples of online CV’s, each reflecting a different professional approach. Manu Marchandeau is a graphic designer who used his online CV to show his out-of-the-box skills, while Ali Axelrad is an opera singer who went for a more classic design:
Basic Elements Your Online CV Should Contain
Your CV is not complete without the following:
A homepage that presents your name, expertise and a nice head shot.
A page that details your education and work experience – just like in a normal CV.
A portfolio with samples of your work – articles you wrote, projects you produced, images or any kind of material that shows your skills.
Contact info – preferably both on a separate Contact page, but also in the footer of your homepage. You can use email, phone or professional social media accounts. On a dedicated Contact page, add a contact form as well and make sure it works!
OPTIONAL: A Bio page that tells your story in a brief, approachable and interesting manner. The style of this text depends on your field . It can be fun and clever or to-the-point. Whichever it is – keep a professional tone! You’re not writing to your friends.
For more inspiration check out Elizabeth Avigail Tucker’s and Maria Kit Fishell’s online portfolio/CV:
Keep It Simple & Smart
Present information in a clear and concise manner. Include only that which is truly important and don’t go into great detail about the long and forgotten past, like being a supermarket clerk or delivering pizza to pay for school. As always, list your most recent work first and do include keywords that are relevant to your desired position or industry.
Kathy Kissinger did an excellent job with her nice, short and tidy resume
Be Meticulous
You do not want to distribute an online CV that has spelling mistakes or design fails. Check your spelling and get more than one person to proof-read all the texts. Make sure that all pixels are lined up and that your graphics and photos are of the highest quality. Sending out a CV with blurry images will look bad, regardless of how talented you are. Ask people whose opinion you respect to have a look and give you comments. Check all the links and buttons to make sure they are working properly. Don’t give potential employers any reason to disqualify you!
