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Career Advice for Job Seekers

Building Your Online Profile: Ready for Your Next Interview

William Frierson AvatarWilliam Frierson
April 16, 2015


Deborah Anderson photo

Deborah Anderson

It is a really good idea to build your online portfolio, so you are ready for that next corporate interview (or even non-corporate interview!).

A business portfolio is your opportunity to create an online resume with visual components that will entice even the most hardened corporate type. And, even if you do not end up using your online portfolio, it serves as a record for you. It doesn’t hurt to review your portfolio before heading out the door for that interview, so you have a reminder of all of your accomplishments.

Two Components of the Overall Strategy to Success

The key two aspects for the portfolio to work for you is to…

  • Add your accomplishments as they happen
  • Refer to your portfolio for ALL interviews (or other opportunities).

The first one is obvious, but many times we figure we can “do it later.” The best policy is to do it when it happens. If you are not close to the web, you could write yourself a sticky note to remind yourself to update your portfolio the next time you are sitting at your desk.

The other aspect, as we mentioned above, is helpful even if you simply reference your own portfolio to get those accomplishments fresh in your mind before pitching yourself to the next employer (or joint venture).

There are many different ways to build your portfolio. We are going to start with the most difficult and get easier as we go.

Your Portfolio Website

One option is to create your own online portfolio on your own website, including your own domain name, hosting, software, etc. One of the easiest ways to do that is using the blog software, WordPress. The other thing that you need to consider is hosting. For that, you will want to review the different hosting companies available and find the one that meets your needs. Reading reviews, like this one, recommending cheap web hosting, are highly beneficial.

The only disadvantage to doing it this way, is the requirement for some technical knowledge, or access to someone who has technical knowledge. However, if you have a bit of knowledge or ability to set up your own site and portfolio, this may be a way to manage it yourself and control every aspect, especially with the ability to install free WordPress themes and finding exactly what “look” you want for your portfolio.

Online Site Builders and Ready-made Sites

Another option that may be easier than your own web site, but a still able to be completely managed by you, is something like a site builder site. Years ago, site builders were harder to find, but nowadays, you can use sites like Tumblr to create your own portfolio. By using Tumblr, you could enter each accomplishment as a different post on the site, and the newest accomplishments will rise to the top of the list, as the most recent. Tumblr is fairly easy to use. Probably the most difficult aspect is the initial setup, but after that, it would be fairly easy to maintain.

SlideShares and Presentation Software

If you are keen on creating presentations, you could create a PowerPoint presentation that you keep on your desktop, updating as you complete your accomplishments. This is very innovative and may actually impress your future employer enough to hire you!

After you create this presentation in your favorite presentation software, you can upload to SlideShare.net. The advantage to using SlideShare (a big one!) is that you can “re-upload.” That means that as you add accomplishments to your presentation on your desktop, you can revisit the site and re-upload the updated presentation. In that way, the online reference (URL) stays the same, but the content can be ever-updating, reflecting your most recent accomplishments.

LinkedIn

Remember I said I would save the easiest until the end? This is actually the method that I use. I make it a point to ensure that I update LinkedIn with any career advancements or accomplishments that happen. By doing this, I always have an updated “resume” online, via LinkedIn.com. Also, by doing this, I can use the other methods, above, by referencing LinkedIn.com. I treat LI as the “authoritative” reference of my portfolio and use it when creating the other portfolios listed above.

You see, you don’t have to limit yourself. There is no reason why you have to limit yourself to having only one portfolio. And, by creating several different portfolios, you have something that likely fits everyone’s needs, ready for that next big opportunity.

Author info:
By Deborah Anderson
http://www.Tech-Audit.com
@techauditcom and @socialwebcafe

About the author:

Deborah Anderson has travelled many paths, from Chief Technology Officer in the Financial Industry (in Beverly Hills), to Director of Marketing for a not-for-profit health organization and host of a iHeart Radio marketing talk show. She is doctoral candidate, (I/O Psychology) while coaching clients and businesses on how to achieve effectiveness in the midst of success in their businesses.

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