As the year comes to a close and we ready ourselves for 2013, it is important to take stock of everything accomplished, especially in the workplace. Whether you are seeking a prestigious fellowship, that coveted board position or simply a new job, a good resume is the baseline requirement. In order to stand out from the crowd, it is time to take a new approach.
The resumes of tomorrow are not just one-page documents. They are living, breathing presentations that give a 360-degree view of you. Here are three tools you can use to take your resume to the next level and tell your story in fresh, innovative way.
About.me: Among the most popular sites in this category, About.me is described simply as “a personal page that’s all about you.†The site is easy to setup, visually-driven and a comes with both WordPress blog integration and an iPhone app that allows users to browse and build their network. The key here is to:
- Choose the best image that represents you.
- Share a quick, impactful statement that gets to who you are.
- Feature links social media profiles that give visitors a better view of you.
Re.vu: Though it has yet to capture the interest of many in my network, Re.vu is an excellent site that is worth exploring. Their first selling point shows that they understand what really resonates with people: “Don’t send a resume. Share your story.â€
It features a clean user interface and is easy to update. That alone puts it leagues ahead of other sites out there, but where re.vu really shines is in the built-in infographic section that pushes users to highlight the things most job applicants have trouble talking about—quantifiable achievements (people managed, project budgets, etc).
Vizify: Last but certainly not least is Vizify. It does the best job I’ve seen with creating a user experience within the site. It has all the perks that other sites come with, like LinkedIn integration for creating a profile, but the best thing about Vizify is that visitors go on a journey through several aspects of your life. At the moment, I am a big fan of the Locations section that allows users to highlight the breadth of their experience here and abroad, both in a personal and professional context.
Try one—or all—of these tools to see what best fits to show the full picture of what you offer to the job market and the world at large.
James S. Walker (@jaywalk1 ) is a global digital manager on the Nature Conservancy’s international digital marketing team. Intrigued by how social and cultural insights connect people on a global level, Walker has completed long-term project assignments in China and Mongolia, and chronicles his thoughts on the industry via his blog, PR Prescriptions, and Website, Socially Diverse.