The death of the resume: a transition toward personal websites

A resume just isn’t enough anymore. 

In recent years, an individual’s online presence has gained substantial weight in their employment application process. Social media is one thing, but creating a personalized portfolio online is proving to be one of the most competitive strategies in today’s job market. Whether or not resumes are destined for obsolescence, it’s important to document one’s experiences and qualifications on a personalized website as it increases both their credibility and discoverability. 

Employers find personal websites extremely attractive. Workfolio, a company based on increasing individual visibility, performed research in order to prove this. Their findings show that 56 percent of hirers value a strong online website more than any other aspect of an applicant’s portfolio. 

In 2014, approximately 7 percent of the total American population had a personal website. Focusing on millennials, 15 percent had a site. That number has risen much higher by now. Being between 25 and 50 years old, many millennials have solved this problem by creating a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is a social media platform that is marketed as a website for hosting personal profiles. 27 percent of the American adult population uses the page. Around 60 percent of LinkedIn’s user base is between the ages of 25 and 34. This indicates that at least two thirds of users are millennials: 18 percent of the millennial population has a LinkedIn profile. 

Just on LinkedIn alone, we already see an increase from the prior 15 percent of millennials who had personal websites in 2014. Incorporating the personal pages hosted by other services and applications, it’s safe to say that at least a fifth of millennials have their own online profile page. 

In the past eight years, at least four million millennials have developed a website for themselves and they’re only a small 22 percent of the total population. It’s clear that the younger generations are trending towards having online portfolios to stay competitive. 

Job searchers have a common misconception that their entire application should fit within the confines of a single page resume. Though this method is concise, it gives the impression that one lacks experience. According to Zety, an online resume creator, 66 percent of employers think entry-level applicants should have a one page resume. 77 percent of employers think experienced applicants should have more than a page of credentials. Having a one page resume signals that a candidate may be entry-level as opposed to experienced. Even though this is the case, 39 percent of experienced applicants still use single page resumes. 

By creating a personal website, individuals can supplement their resume and avoid this pitfall. Including a link to an online profile on a resume is an easy way to give employers additional information on one’s qualifications. This way, the single page resume is just a hook for the exploration of a larger portfolio online.

From the consumer’s perspective, 48 percent of people gauge a company’s credibility based on its website. Why shouldn’t it be the same for employers? Personal websites are quickly becoming a competitive way to supplement one’s resume and increase their appeal in the job market.