Graduation season is once again upon us! For many of you, that means you’ve powered through finals, and you’re ready to don your cap and gown for your hard-earned moment of fanfare. It’s a time for celebration, but also a natural time to take a step back and think about the next big challenge: finding a job. A great resume website or online portfolio can help.
First impressions
Not so long ago that meant brushing up your print resume or portfolio, making sure you had something attention-grabbing ready to mail out to potential employers or take along to interviews.
But the rules have changed in today’s always-on culture.
Simply showing up on time with a nicely presented resume isn’t enough to get you in the door anymore. First impressions have always been important, but the rise of social media means recruiters now have a window into the lives of potential candidates before any formal contact is even made.
Your digital presence could be the difference between you and another, equally qualified, candidate getting the job.
We recently conducted research among 250 industry-wide hiring managers and 1,000 students — and it revealed a lot about just how important it is to have a great digital presence, including a resume website or online portfolio, in today’s job market:
- Three in four hiring managers (76%) now regularly check the social media and online presence of candidates, but only 50% of graduates make sure theirs is up to standard before an interview.
- Millennial hiring managers pay particularly close attention to digital presence — more than 60% said having a website or online portfolio is important for candidates. Almost one quarter (24%) have refused to hire somebody based on their online presence.
- 70% of recent grads think employers typically look for an online portfolio when considering a new hire, but only about a third (32%) actually have an online portfolio to display their work currently.
So recruiters are looking for you online anyway, but many of your peers aren’t using their online presence to their advantage … sounds like a great opportunity to make yourself stand out!
It only takes an hour to get yourself online
Creating your own website is one of the easiest, most effective ways to show off your skills and wow employers. Our free Website Builder tool is perfect for the job. It takes less than an hour to buy a domain, customize a design from thousands of website templates and get your achievements out there for all to see — all from your mobile phone.
GoCentral also has built-in marketing tools— great for making sure your resume website or online portfolio is the first thing that shows up when potential employers are doing their background research.
Check out some great tips on how you can build a killer personal web presence.
Not sure where to start? Call us!
That all sounds easy enough — but I know putting yourself out there for the first time can be a daunting prospect. To help you take that leap and claim an awesome online presence that’s going to serve you for years to come, we’ve set up the GoDaddy Graduate Hotline.
Not sure what resume website template or online portfolio template to use? Need help with a domain? Wondering what SEO is and how it can help you land a job? Give our team a buzz at 480-463-8307. They’re super-friendly, available 24/7, and know every tip and trick you’ll ever need to build a website that will help you land your dream job.
