Business experts say more employers are asking for web portfolios and social media links, but what do local experts say about paper versus online resumes?
ALBANY, GA -- A business report shows that some employers are asking applicants to skip the usual paper resume and give them a website portfolio. Some are even asking for links to their social media pages instead of resumes.
"Our students are very tech savvy so they may have that out there, but we are still getting a lot of requests for the paper resume and portfolio," says Wendy Howell with Communications at Albany Technical College.
Howell says business experts are right in that employers are looking more and more at potential employees’ Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. She says while a candidate may be a finalist for a position, what you post there could alter an employer’s opinion quickly.
Marketing professionals also say, watch who your friends with on Facebook: They say you do not want to be associated with someone making inappropriate remarks or who has received bad press.
So what is it about web materials versus a paper resume that employers are looking for? Website and Graphic Designer Daniel Titus says employers are often looking to see if your personality fits with the company.
"And that can't always be conveyed in an interview," he says. "But if they have a better glimpse into your personal life then they can gain a lot more personal information about you."
While a website portfolio might not be for everyone, Titus and Howell say if you have one be sure to fit it to your the career track.
"As far as the specifics of design you want to think about the industry you're in. You want to think about your target audience and your target audience is not your fellow employees; it's your potential employer," says Titus.
Howell says especially for those applying to graphic and website design position, a web portfolio "is a great way to have an online portfolio to highlight your work specifically if you're going into website design," she says.
If you want more tips about what every good web design should include, be sure to catch Titus' blog that is coming out on Friday.
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