| Getting carded... online | | | | online resume portfolio. |
| Why students need a professional I.D. for job search! | | | | |
| Internship and job search for students just got way | | | | 5 Ways to Craft your Professional Online Identity: |
| tougher. The depressed global economy, Googling of | | | | 1. Get Your Resume Online. Professional networking |
| students by employers, invasion of Facebook by | | | | sites such as and offer both students and |
| recruiters... what’s a student to do? | | | | professionals a career-minded profile and custom URL |
| In the age of Web 2.0, employers want more than | | | | for your online resume. Social networking sites like |
| just a paper resume. Getting a professional online | | | | Facebook and MySpace have a spot for work |
| identity (a.k.a. your online resume portfolio) is a new | | | | experience-related information, yes, but these should |
| avenue for students to market themselves and get | | | | be supplemental, not primary homes to your online |
| hired. Think of it as being carded online and "getting | | | | credentials. |
| in.” Your professional online identity includes your | | | | 2. Add a Portfolio. Videos/photos/audio of your work, |
| blog, articles, portfolio, online resume and even | | | | experience or other professional output instantly |
| testimonials. | | | | boosts your employability. Aspiring film director? |
| According to ExecuNet.com, 83 percent of | | | | Upload your projects to YouTube or MySpaceTV. |
| recruiters used search engines to check out | | | | Experienced Web designer? Showcase images of |
| prospective employees last year, and 43 percent | | | | your best work with links to your contact |
| eliminated candidates based on the results. So what | | | | information. Good at public speaking? Post a video |
| are recruiters going to find when they Google you? | | | | that showcases your voice. Check out my video |
| Here are the top 5 reasons you need an online | | | | resume here. You get the picture, and so do |
| resume portfolio, followed by the top 5 ways to | | | | employers. |
| craft your online identity ASAP! | | | | 3. Get Testimonials. Let somebody brag to the World |
| 5 Reasons to Get a Professional Online Identity Now: | | | | Wide Web about you! While it's good to list |
| | | | | references on your online resume, testimonials speak |
| 1. Stand Out. Yes, we all know its tough, but | | | | immediately. You can plug yourself all you want, but |
| we’re not going to take it lying down. Take a | | | | the most competitive online resumes show what |
| virtual stand for yourself and get noticed. Build a | | | | other people have said about your work. Take a look |
| professional online page with a portfolio and custom | | | | at a real testimonial for business student Jesus |
| URL in your e-mail signature to boost your credibility | | | | Huerta on his student resume page. |
| when sending out resumes and job apps. | | | | 4. Post Position Wanted. Post an ad for your ideal job |
| 2. Google. Recruiters scout the Internet every day | | | | or internship! Companies won't know what you're |
| for an inside look at the next generation of eager | | | | looking for unless you tell them. NuResume, for |
| grads, and they're influenced by what they see. Let | | | | example, allows you to post "Internship/Project |
| your professional resume be what recruiters see first. | | | | Wanted" ads directly to your profile, making it easy |
| 3. Economy. The scare of a nationwide recession | | | | for recruiters to find you. You can also post custom |
| simply means you need to be more aggressive about | | | | "looking for" ads on Craigslist. |
| marketing yourself. As an employer's stack of | | | | 5. Write a Blog. Making your voice heard online is one |
| resumes grows, you need a way to jump off the | | | | of the fastest ways to catch an employer's |
| page in under 6 seconds. A URL on your resume | | | | attention. Free blogging sites like WordPress offer |
| automatically buys you more of a recruiter's attention | | | | you a space for a simple, paragraph-per-week entry |
| span. | | | | to write about your career interests and learnings. |
| 4. Networking. Social networking may help you find | | | | Read a fellow student's blog on her online resume. |
| friends, but it’s professional networking | | | | |
| that’ll help you find your next gig. Marketing | | | | Now's the time! |
| yourself as an employable, career-minded individual | | | | Go ahead and take the first step on the road to |
| means maintaining professional visibility and | | | | career success with your professional online identity. |
| transparency online to build those career-friendly | | | | A new site, NuResume.com, has popped up as a |
| relationships. | | | | one-stop professional spot for students to house |
| 5. Recruiters are looking for you. The game of | | | | their resume, portfolio, testimonials, position wanted |
| sending out dozens of resumes and watching paint | | | | and blog, all under a custom URL. |
| dry as you wait by the phone has hit a new low | | | | If you have a handle on basic Web design and |
| level. Web 2.0-snazzy recruiters are on the prowl to | | | | blogging, consider building your own site or start |
| purge non-professionalism from their applicant pool, | | | | logging your daily professional experience on |
| and transparency is key. If you’re not listed | | | | WordPress or other blogging service. |
| online you can’t be found. It’s that simple! | | | | If you're still not convinced, check out what Dan |
| So how do you start? | | | | Schawbel's Personal Branding Blog has to say. |
| Google yourself. What comes up? An angst-filled | | | | Because just like the good Lady Justice, the Internet |
| LiveJournal entry you posted a few months ago? | | | | is blind when it comes down to you. So let’s give |
| Don’t be the student getting picked last in the | | | | them something to talk about! |
| game of “fill this job.” It's time to build your | | | | |