4 Things to Include on Your Personal Web Site to Advance Your Career

If you don't yet have a personal web site now is the time to create one. You don't have to be a web designer to create a professional looking site with many of the easy to use web site builders available.

A personal web site is a great way to showcase your skills and accomplishments for potential employers, customers, and clients.

When developing your personal site be sure to include the following 4 items:

1. Videos. Post any videos of presentations or lectures you've done at conferences or seminars. Also
include any panel discussions you've been a part of. If you don't have any videos consider creating one specifically for your site. A good quality video can now be done with a fairly small budget.

2. Links. Provide links to any published articles and essays that are available on the internet, along with a brief description of the content of the text.

3. Personal blog. A blog is a great way for others to get to know you on a more personal level and for you to communicate clearly on the subjects you are knowledgeable and passionate about. Your blog provides a forum for you to demonstrate both your personality and your expertise.

4. Photos. Do include photos of yourself but leave off the ones where you're at the beach or the bar. Be sure the photos are professionally done and convey your personality and are consistent with the image you want to project and the skills you offer to potential employers, customers, and clients.

Your web site doesn't have to be complicated but should include the four elements described above to highlight what you have to offer.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Reasons You Need a Personal Website

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 6 Reasons You Need a Personal Website: "Sixty-eight percent of the surveyed HR professionals want to learn more about you and are looking for personal qualities that aren't easily evident on a résumé. Furthermore, half the survey respondents believe a personal website helps to humanize a candidate."


• 10 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Stick To: "In the initial days of business, hard work will pay more than the smart work."


• 11 Truths About Being an Entrepreneur: "People want to work with people they like. The only way you’ll be able to move mountains is if you believe you can."


• How to Give Tough Feedback That Helps People Grow: "Giving developmental feedback that sparks growth is a critical challenge to master, because it can make the difference between an employee who contributes powerfully and positively to the organization and one who feels diminished by the organization and contributes far less."


• 3 Words That Make You Sound Rude in Email: "Because 'sorry' is so overused, it tends to feel flippant and non-genuine. “I apologize,” on the other hand, is said rarely enough that it still carries a lot of weight."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Success and Leadership

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• The 7 Ways Successful People Approach Their Work: "[I]mprove your skills and adopt new ones important in your line of work. Take professional development classes, or have a mentor help you figure out what you’ll need to learn in order to succeed five, ten or 20 years from now."

• Do All job Seekers Need a Personal Website?: "According to a study ... 56 percent of hiring managers are more impressed by a personal website than any other branding tool you could use. And yet, only 7 percent of job seekers have websites."
• Act Like a Leader Before You Are One: "No matter how big your ambitions, don't let them distract you from excelling in your current role. Focus on the present as much as — or more than — the future."


• 10 Ways to Be Sensationally Successful at Your New Job: " Work hard to be known for something specific. Be known for responding more quickly or following up first or always offering to help before you’re asked. Be the leader known for turning around struggling employees or creating the biggest pool of promotable talent or building bridges between different departments."


• 30 Books to Make You a Better Business Leader: "While it may seem hard to believe, the simple act of reading can provide you with an opportunity to expand your leadership and business knowledge. The end result: a positive transform for you and the business you lead."