chat
expand_more

Chat with our Pricing Wizard

clear

Career Advice for Job Seekers

Paper Resumes Are So Last Century: How to Stand Out in the Job Hunt Today With a ‘Not-Com’ Domain

William Frierson AvatarWilliam Frierson
July 20, 2015


Digital Online Domain Internet Web Hosting Working Concept

Digital online domain internet web hosting working concept. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Competition for jobs and internships can be fierce, especially among millennials. Despite improvement in the job market, the unemployment rate is at 14 percent for 18- to 29-year-olds.

Ouch.

So how do you stand out from this crowded field of job seekers?

Talent and tenacity aside, your digital brand is paramount. Gone are the days of paper resumes and phone calls to prospective employers. It’s all about how you present your resume and portfolio online.

One of the coolest ways to stand out in this digital sea of job candidates is with a memorable URL – one attached to your professional website (which can be created via a ready-made resume template on sites such as Linkedin or About.Me). And you needn’t settle on a ‘dot-com’ (.com) address anymore. The newest top-level domains (TLDs) provide a colorful palette with which to work and can make your website address creative, meaningful and, most importantly, memorable.

These new options range from ‘dot-guru’ (.guru) to ‘dot-life’ (.agency) to ‘dot-works (.works). Visit Name.Kitchen for an extensive list of “not-com” options.

Here’s how a clever URL keeps you memorable during the job hunt.

Your online resume

Prospective employers are often clicking on a resume, versus holding one in their hands. If they see a creative domain to click, either in the body of an email or within your email signature – say, ‘Susan.Life’ or ‘JoeSmith.Photography’ – it’s more likely to keep you remembered.

It shows creativity and forward thinking, both qualities coveted by employers. And when it comes down to narrowing the field of job candidates, that memorable domain could give you an edge: “Oh, she’s the one who came up with that clever URL!”

Tip: Even if you don’t build your own portfolio website from scratch, you can use a customized domain to redirect to your professional Linkedin or About.Me profile, as Amanda Coffee did with her URL: Amanda.Coffee.

Related: Can This Website Kill the Resume?

Social media

Recruiting and job-hunting happens on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and a host of other social networking sites, so it’s just as critical to have a polished professional profile here. (In fact, employers and recruiters are using social media more, and job boards less.) A short and memorable URL will pop in digital conversations and within your social media bio – and are immediately clickable for recruiters.

Your business cards

It’s a good rule of thumb to keep professional business cards in your wallet, as you never know whom you’ll meet out in the world. And on that business card: your super-creative URL. When passing your business card to a new contact, be sure to point it out. Even if he or she misplaces that business card, a creative website address is sure to be remembered.

Networking events

Talk up your domain name while mingling at network events (with business cards in hand, of course). It’s a great icebreaker and could lead to a deeper conversation about your background and career goals. And who knows, that conversation could ultimately lead to your next job.

The author is Erica Bray, editor of Name.Kitchen.

New Job Postings

Advanced Search

Related Articles

No Related Posts.
View More Articles