The New Resume
J. Kevin Tumlinson

When cassettes were introduced, 8-track tapes and LPs went the way of the dinosaur. CDs are now doing the same to cassettes, and DVD is just replacing everything. Nothing is sacred. So, with the carnage that technology wreaks on old standbys, could we expect any less when it comes to the tools of the trade in the business world? Of late, one of technology's victims is the classic resume.

The resume has long been the tool of the hope-to-be employed, allowing a forum for listing credentials as well as a chance to show prospective employers that you have what it takes to hack it in the modern business world. But there have always been so many rules when it comes to resumes. Keep it to one page-- don't list anything unless it applies to the job your seeking- customize it for each employer. That's a lot of work for a piece of paper that either ends up lost or filed in the round file.

Now, though, there is an alternative- one that is growing in popularity at an incredible rate of speed. It is the trend of would-be employees to utilize their personal web sites as high-tech resumes.

Actually, this is a concept whose time has definitely come. What more could you ask from a resume than to present your background information in an eye-catching, interesting way? The web offers the opportunity to do something that no flimsy piece of paper could ever do. It gives you the chance to show your experience, knowledge and style in a forum that appeals to more than one of the senses.

Web sites are visual. They have color, excitement, appeal! In some cases they even have moving graphics that can grab attention while still being suitably business like. You have the option of incorporating a portfolio into the mix, showing samples of your work along with your contact information, without cluttering a future employer's desk. Best of all (especially for employers), your web site takes care of its own filing. There are no papers to lose, mangle, or trash. You need only present your business card at the time of interview and the Internet does the rest.

Think of yourself as a big corporation, with the same needs as any other company. You need income to stay afloat. You need to be able to demonstrate your compatibility with the market in which you operate. Above all, you need a marketing strategy. Full color ads in a major magazine are a little out of most peoples price range, but a full blown, moving, talking, music playing, color filled web site can run you less than $300.

Now that your interest is peaked, it's time to get down to business (so to speak). Here's a list of what you'll need to market yourself in modern society:

• A domain name. This is the web address of your site. It's usually something memorable, like www.yourlastname.com, but it can be practically anything you'd like. You can find and register a domain name by surfing to www.networksolutions.com. Here you'll be able to search for a domain name that appeals to you and register it with the Internic (the government appointed agency that registers Internet domain names). Registering your domain name costs $70, and the name is yours for two years (that, of course, works out to $35 per year), with a renewal of $35 per year.
• The next step is to find someone to host your web site for you. You may already have someone and just never knew it. Contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider, the people who let you dial up and get on the Internet) and ask if they have web hosting. Most ISPs allow you to keep your web site up for no more than the cost of your Internet service itself. These usually have a file size limitation of anywhere between 3MB (MB=Mega Bytes) and 10MB. Don't worry, that's plenty large enough for a personal web site. If your ISP doesn't offer web hosting there are plenty of services out there that will for a minimum amount of money (the standard lately seems to be about $100 per year). Some of these services, in fact, will take care of everything for you, including the registration of the domain name. You'll still have to pay Internic its $70, but the workload is off of your shoulders.
• Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will give you an e-mail address, but you also have one available to you through your domain name. For example, if you register the domain name mywebsite.com, your e-mail address might be me@mywebsite.com. This e-mail address is important. It provides an even bigger impression of professionalism. When you present your business card to your next employer, they will be able to contact you at an interesting and easy to remember address. This is especially impressive if you happen to buy your last name or full name as your domain name. (For example, if you owned smith.com then your address could be john@smith.com. Pretty impressive, right?)
• This next point is the difficult one. You need a way to build the web site. There are a few options, but let's concentrate on the easiest ones. First, you can hire someone to build your site for you. This is the easiest way, but it's also likely to be the more expensive. One suggestion I have is to approach a local high school kid and ask if they could build your web site for you. Today's teenager is usually pretty web savvy, and you might be able to get a site built for around $50 (or less).
• Next, there are several pieces of software on the market that could help you build your own site. Many of these use WYSIWYG (pronounced "Wizzy Wig") editors. That funny acronym stands for "What You See Is What You Get," and it's the easiest way to build your own web site. Such editors as Microsoft's Publisher 98, Claris Homepage, and Macromedia's Dreamweaver allow you to simply click, drag and type your web page into existence. To upload it to the web, though, you'll have to contact your web host for detailed instructions. This is actually kind of a fun way to get your site, but it does take some planning and a little time. Make sure you know what you want to say before hand.
• The important thing to remember is to keep it simple. Make your site accessible and easy to navigate, with a clear path to any information an employer might desire. Keep the cute stuff to a minimum (moving graphics, flamboyant colors, outrageous fonts). Most of all make sure that it's perfect. Glaring spelling and grammar errors can lock you out of a job.

In addition to the web site, you might want to get your own business cards. You can get cards printed just about anywhere for very little money (in fact, there are machines that will print about thirty cards for no more than a couple of bucks), or you can do these yourself as well by picking up business card stock at any office supply store. There are dozens of software titles for printing your own cards, but if you already own publishing software such as Microsoft Publisher 98 (which you may have used to build your site), then you can use that to print your cards. With your new cards in hand you are now armed with all the information necessary to impress your future boss.

And finally, be prepared. This is the latest wave, but it won't be around forever. Sooner or later something will come along that makes this as obsolete as 8-track. For now, though, owning your own web site is a sure way to demonstrate that you are current and prepared for anything this high tech world can throw at you.

J. Kevin Tumlinson is a writer and editor living in the Houston area. He has a background in Engineering, as well as degrees in Communications and English from Houston Baptist University. He is also the Editor of ViewOnline. You may contact him at kevin@viewonline.com.