Should You Include Your Personal Website on Your Resume?
(Back to Resume
Index)
Listing your personal web site URL on your resume: Should you do it? An
unfortunate common error on resumes is the inclusion of the URL of a
personal web site that contains inappropriate content. This is a
quick way to let employers know you lack judgment or maturity.
On this page see: don't include...
and you may include....
Use our
Career Counseling Services to
ask a career advisor to review your web site for appropriate content.
DON'T INCLUDE a reference to a web site that contains:
|
Back to top |
- Photos of yourself that are not business appropriate*. NO bathing suit
photos, NO photos consuming alcohol, NO photos casually socializing with
friends.
*A caution about photos: Photos should never appear on a resume unless
you're applying for an acting / theatrical position where appearance is a
bona fide occupational qualification. Therefore the best approach is not
to provide a photo in any form (on-line or otherwise) in connection with
your job search. Employers are prohibited from making hiring decisions
based on appearance or other factors not relevant to the job
qualifications; therefore employers want to avoid seeking out information
that is not appropriate to consider.
- Jokes, animated or otherwise.
- Cartoon characters doing inappropriate things.
True story: student submits a resume listing web site URL. Web page
contains animated character obstructing a SU logo. Student did not get
an interview.
- Nothing but your name -
no other personal information. What's the point, other than to show that you don't know how to
create a web page?
YOU MAY
INCLUDE a reference to a web site that contains:
|
Back to top |
- A copy of your resume (redundant, perhaps, but appropriate if you keep
your on-line version strictly up-to-date).
- Copies of reference letters, certifications, or other documents that are
relevant to your job search.
- Academic or professional papers, abstracts, lists of professional
papers, presentations, etc.
- Writing samples, if appropriate to the positions you are seeking.
- Items that might appear in a portfolio.
- Photos you've taken, or photos of artwork or other creative projects
that are relevant to your being considered for a job. Be aware of load
time on graphic images; if it takes too long to load, no one's going to
see it.
- Samples of your web development work, if the content and skills
displayed are appropriate to the positions you are seeking.
|
