Job Seeker News

As these online discussions increase, it is more important than ever to have a Web site dedicated to your career, so you can share your skills and qualifications through these new mediums.

Creating a career Web site is easy and you can build one at no cost.  WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA offers job seekers no-cost access to OptimalResume, an online service that allows you to design a high-impact and professional career Web site that you can update, deactivate and reactivate as your career progresses.  To view a sample, visit http://wcf.confidentialresume.com/WhitneyMeyer/.

To begin building your Web site, visit the Web site, www.WorkforceCentralFlorida.com/Jobseekers/post_resume.asp and click on OptimalResume at the bottom of the page.  After you are redirected to OptimalResume, click on “Create a New Account” and follow the prompts to submit your contact, education and career preferences.

Once you have entered your information, you will be directed to the “Document Center,” your home base for taking advantage of all that OptimalResume has to offer.  Beyond building a career Web site, Optimal Resume allows you to:

·         Easily create resumes in several formats with more than 1 million styling options that you can share with online networks, e-mail directly or download to your desktop.

·         Generate high quality professional letters such as application, networking and thank you letters.

·         Upload professional documents such as writing samples, photos and links into an online portfolio.

·         Analyze your skills and experiences and present them in an attractive format on your site. 

·         Prepare for even the toughest of interviews with multi-media interview scenarios where you can record and critique your responses.  Numerous interview styles are covered such as behavioral, customer service, ex offender, hiring manager and panel.

Before you can build your Web site, you will need to complete the documents that you may want to appear on your site.  For example, to include your resume on your Web site, you must first complete the “Resume” section.  To add your resume, simply use one of the templates or upload your existing resume.  Please note that if you choose the upload option, your resume will appear on your site as a link only.  To fully show your resume text on your site, try copying and pasting your existing resume into one of the templates.

If you would like to include a cover letter, an online portfolio of work samples or a list of transferable skills and abilities, complete those sections as well.  If you’re ever confused about how to return to your list of OptimalResume options, click on the “Document Center.”

When you’ve finished adding content, you’re ready to develop your Web site.  Select the Web site option and then click the “Enable” box and the check boxes by the content options that you would like to appear on your site. Click “Save & Continue” at the bottom of the page.  At any time in the process you may return to past sections to revise them.

Next you may choose one of the 15 color and placement templates and to customize the side bar with widgets such as links to your LinkedIn or Twitter accounts, a professional photo or a social networking share option that will make it easy for visitors to share your Web site with others. 

If you prefer that site not be open for public viewing, there is also an option to password protect it.  Once you’ve completed your Web site, click on the “Activate Web Site” button and your site will be live. 

With your very own career Web site, use it to your advantage to promote your job search.  Include the link on personal business cards.  Link to your site on any social media accounts.  If you are sending your resume directly to an employer, include the Web address on your resume or your cover letter for easy access to your portfolio.  Or, use OptimalResume’s share option to post your site directly to more than 200 social media sites.