How to create a Resume Website

In certain industries, the job market can be highly competitive. Applicants searching for a new job will often need to get creative to stand out among the competition. Conversely, companies in some industries are desperately looking for skilled workers. The standard CV and a cover letter are fool proof, but you won’t necessarily stand out from the crowd. However, when you submit a resume website with your application, your creativity and commitment become unique selling points. But how do you make a resume website and what should go on it?

A typical application consists of a meaningful cover letter and a resume. Depending on the industry, samples of your work are a welcome addition. These documents are usually shared by email with a managing director or the human resources department of the target company. It is up to you how you compile these documents but adding your CV and samples of your work to a dedicated website can offer more freedom.

Your resume website typically includes your CV and cover letter. In this case, however, a cover letter will be more generic, in the form of a letter of motivation. That means you’ll still be sending a more tailored cover letter to the respective company by email. Often a cover letter forms part of the main body text of an email and isn’t attached as a separate document.

The pros of presenting your work samples and a CV on a dedicated website include standing out over other applications. If your website is well-designed, it will be a unique selling point that offers plenty of advantages. But that’s not the only benefit. You can also integrate interactive elements, images, and videos on a website.

While a more traditional job application sometimes includes a profile photo, you could even add a professional photo gallery on your website to present yourself from different angles. You could also include a video to support your application.

Creating your own resume website means you can add social media channel links and icons. Embedding a link to your LinkedIn profile may be particularly interesting for potential employers.

Finally, a resume website helps with your passive job search. If you’ve designed your website well and optimized it for search engines, you may even find that companies contact you with job offers out of the blue.

The self-employed and freelancers should already have their own websites. But a CV website is also a useful way for employees to present themselves while looking for a new job.

Web design is the most obvious industry for which a dedicated website makes sense. For a web designer, the website is their business card and poses as a sample of their work at the same time. But other creative professional fields are also well-advised to create a meaningful and professionally designed website including photographers, editors, artists, and similar professional groups who can show off their creative skills on their website and store their portfolios in an appealing way.

But employees from other industries should also consider the option of applying with a website. Considering digitization, a growing number of companies are relying on digital communication. If an employer hasn’t already set-up their own application portal, your resume website can do no harm. If you keep your website up to date, you can use it as a digital business card, to apply to jobs, expand your network of contacts, and to present yourself as an expert in your profession.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a big part of professional life has shifted to the digital sector – including job applications. It is now common to send applications via email instead of in the mail. Much of the process has been shifted online. Most people who were interviewed for a job in 2020 likely did so online in a video conference.

Therefore, it makes sense to make full use of the internet when applying for a new role. With a resume website, you can show yourself from your best side to potential employers, especially when you don’t have the chance to introduce yourself in person.

You’ve got a few different options to create your own resume website. For those with the right know-how, writing the source code won’t be an issue. This gives you full control over the result. However, most people either do not have the necessary expertise or do not want to invest the time building the entire website by hand.

Help is available in the form of experts or easy-to-use tools. For the latter, you can choose from website builders which speed up the process using templates, or a content management system (CMS) that can be adapted according to your own ideas.

When you’re writing your own source code, you’ve got full control over the web design. But you need to be familiar with coding. Though you can learn HTML and watch CSS tutorials, many people just don’t have the time.

Even if you choose to consult experts or use special tools, it’s worth getting acquainted with internet mark-up languages. This helps you to get a better understanding of the structure of your website.

A website builder is essentially an online editor that has been developed for web design beginners. You won’t start from scratch. Instead, you’ll work from a template that features your preferred design elements. You can then make changes to match your resume website design ideas. The system operates in the browser and is adjusted using drag-and-drop.

WordPress is the most popular content management system globally. The CMS also works with templates and users can make changes in an editor. Creating a WordPress website can be achieved in no time. With the help of numerous plugins, you can adapt the website and add various useful functions. CMSs have the advantage that they are designed to publish new content quickly and easily. That means you can make changes without affecting the rest of the site.

By the way, WordPress is by no means the only content management system. Look at our CMS comparison to find out more about the alternatives.

If you don’t have the time or lack the motivation to design your website, you can consult a professional web design service. Based on your ideas, the experts will develop a suitable resume website for you. With a web design service, the professionals work using a base template which saves costs compared to a web design agency and shortens the development time. The experts ensure that your website looks well-designed, its technical framework is optimized, and that it meets the requirements of search engines.

Generally, a resume website doesn’t require any special features and its scope is rather manageable. Either you decide on a few sub-pages or implement the website in a one-page design, which presents content on a single page but divided into different areas. Regardless of which design you choose, you should definitely offer the following information on your website:

• Homepage: Welcome visitors to your website.
• Motivation: Similar to a cover letter, you can actively promote yourself here.
• CV: Highlight your career with your most important experiences.
• Samples of your work: If suitable, include a portfolio of your work.
• Contact: Provide different means of contacting you.
• Privacy regulation: Include an imprint and data protection declaration.

Your homepage is a place to greet your visitors with an inviting text and possibly even a photo of yourself. Remember that the people reading this text are likely considering you for a job. That is why a professional first impression is essential. Make sure you adapt the style of your presentation to suit your industry. Some jobs are more casual while others attach greater importance to being serious. In addition, remember that “less is more” and that this applies to the homepage. Do not overwhelm visitors to your CV website with too much information.

Your motivational statement should convince potential employers of your suitability for the role. In comparison to a cover letter, the content shouldn’t be focused on a specific role or company. Instead, you can answer the following questions:

• What are your interests?
• What drives you in your work?
• What are your career goals?
• Do you have any specialist skills?
• What are some of your outstanding characteristics?

Keep in mind that the information should be relevant to professional life. This sub-page is also ideal for embedding a video. You could introduce yourself on camera and anticipate part of the classic job interview. Just ensure that the video looks professional and that you speak clearly and fluently. Forego the video unless you’re sure you’re posting something of quality.

The online CV or Curriculum Vitae hardly differs from your pdf or print version. The most important thing is to structure it well and include a full list of career achievements and experiences. You could include photos of yourself in this section.

Particularly in creative professions, you will usually be applying with samples of your work, but there are many other industries where work samples or achievements could be beneficial. These should be included on your resume website. Photo galleries of previous work, a list of your most important projects (possibly with a link to other websites), etc., are suitable for this section. Large files, such as a summary of your portfolio, should be embedded for download. If you don’t want everyone to have access to your work samples, you can set up a password-protected area that only people who have previously contacted you can gain access to.

Publication of contact details is important when you want to use your website for passive applications. You can offer various options. In addition to a telephone number and an email address, you could include a contact form, which can make it easier to get in touch. Links to your (professional) social media can also be included on this sub-page. For example, you can include small icons in the footer of the page.

While there’s no legal requirement to include an imprint, it could be useful. This usually clarifies responsibilities regarding published content on your website. You should include a privacy policy as it’s now a requirement across most countries globally and ensures you won’t get into any trouble in the future.

Though the resume website is not a large web project, there are a few things you need to consider to be successful. We will guide you through the individual steps – from start to the finished website.

A domain is part of the web address of your website but also a part of your personal “brand”. The domain is often the first thing a potential visitor notices, often before they visit the website. Take time to plan the best name. Because the resume website focuses on you as a person, it’s often a good idea to choose your name as domain name. This can be a problem, however, if you have a common name.

If your desired domain has already been taken, you can choose a suitable alternative (for example, a combination of your name and job) or select a different top-level domain. Besides .com, there are plenty other domain endings. You could select .info or .online if the .com domain is no longer available.

A CV website puts you and your skills at the center. Your design should reflect this. But don’t go crazy when it comes to the design. You don’t want to scare off HR managers and potential employers with a confusing and distracting design.

A so-called one-page design is a suitable choice for the resume website. The solution means that website visitors can scroll through the content without having to click on a sub-page. In addition, you could add a menu so that users can jump to a specific area of the website more quickly.

With your template in place, the color scheme and fonts decided, it’s time to add some content. You can now add text and upload pictures or videos. It’s a good idea to ensure that all content is cohesive. The tone of the texts should be coordinated across the website and images should follow a color scheme. Only add images that add value to the website rather than overloading the page. If you want to include several photos, it’s best to use the gallery function to make it easier for visitors to view the photos.

Once you’ve finished designing your website, you can publish it. Potential employers can now view your content. For active applications, you can add a link to your resume website. Links to your CV website can also be added to your social media channels – particularly LinkedIn.

Another advantage of your resume website is that the website is always online. You can try to get your page to the top of Google search results. For effective search engine optimization (SEO) make sure you focus on the following points:

• Keywords: Include important keywords on your page, especially in strategic places such as headings. This should include your exact job title or specialist knowledge and your place of residence.
• Mobile-first: It’s important that your website can be easily viewed across a wide range of devices and display sizes. To this end, responsive design plays a major role.
• Technologically optimized: For Google to rank your website as relevant, it should load fast. Therefore, it’s best to only use images of the necessary resolution and in an appropriate file size, and not to incorporate unnecessary scripts.
• Menu: Make sure you offer a menu on your application website. This not only increases usability, but also makes it easier for search engine bots to capture your entire website.

Depending on how you design your website, the above points are straightforward to incorporate. A responsive design is often included as part of many templates – regardless of your choice of website builder or WordPress.

Want to create your own resume website, but still have some questions? Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

That depends on what you wish to achieve in the labor market and in your new role. You can prove yourself within your industry even without a CV website. The benefit of a suitable website is that you are adding a unique selling point to support your application and can stand out from the competition. If your application is successful, you can continue to use your website as a digital business card. This may result in new, exciting challenges in your role and career.

Most applications follow a specific structure or scheme. It can be difficult to stand out among the numerous cover letters and resumes. You can leave a lasting impression with your resume website. In addition, a website offers you additional design options (such as incorporating a video) which isn’t possible with a PDF document.

What’s more, you can enable passive job searches with a resume website because HR professionals may find information about you online without you having to take the first step.

There are various ways of creating your own CV or resume website. For beginners, modular website builders or a content management system are particularly suitable. Both options are easy to use and require little training. At IONOS, for example, you can choose between the Website Builder MyWebsite or performance-strong WordPress hosting.

IONOS provides plenty of design templates that are suitable for you resume website. Use them as an inspiration for your design or as the basis for working with the Website Builder. If you decide to create your own website with WordPress, you will find thousands of themes on the official WordPress website. You can also consult with friends and relatives about the design and content to work out what suits you best. With the Website Design Service from IONOS, you can consult experienced experts on the design of your resume website.