Looking good online and looking good in person
Looking good online
Getting on the internet
The first thing to do when marketing yourself online is to set up a Web site.
Free domain names and hosting are available at awardspace.com. If you get a lot of hits on your site, then you can upgrade to a larger site for $3-15 per month. When choosing a domain, you can also customize it by using your name.
Having your name in the domain makes the site look more professional, said Judy Strauss, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Strauss co-authored “Radically Transparent,” a book that discusses the many ways to market yourself.
Basic steps to setting up a site
It’s important to choose color schemes that are both professional and personal.
Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, is the language of the Web. To create a Web page, it is essential to save documents in this format.
Using Microsoft Word, you can set up a Web page by putting links in your document and adding your resume and other important information. Once you have your document, you should save it as a Web file.
You can upload the document with all the necessary links to the site.
What to put on your Web site
This Web site should contain information valuable to potential employers.
Have your resume on the site or hyperlinked to the site, Strauss said.
It’s also useful to include sample work that relates to your desired job, she said.
A link to a list of accomplishments and awards is a good addition to the site.
“Having pictures on the site is okay as long as they are clean,” Strauss said. “If you study abroad it would be a good idea to put up some of the more professional pictures from your trip.”
Include contact information so potential employers can easily reach you.
E-mail address
Having a serious e-mail address is very important when contacting employers.
“Get your e-mail address linked to your site,” Strauss said. “It is very professional to have an e-mail like judystrauss@judystrauss.com.”
It is a lot better to have an e-mail address with your name than that one that was created in the fifth grade.
Adding a signature file to your e-mails is also good tactic. This file should include your contact information, making it easier for employers to contact you.
Facebook and MySpace
Having a Facebook and MySpace can be useful marketing tools if used correctly.
Many employers have pages and will search for your profile.
Make sure that these sites are cleaned up and contain no profanity, alcohol, partying or revealing pictures, Strauss said.
Putting links to sites with achievements on them or a personal Web site is also a good idea.
Looking good in person
25-word elevator pitch
When meeting an employer at a job convention, you will only have a couple of minutes to talk to them about who you are and what you have to offer. The 25-word elevator pitch is the perfect thing to have because it will make it easy for you to explain those things to a potential employer.
If you can come across as someone who has their goals in mind, then the employer is more likely to remember you and contact you in the future.
Business Cards
Business cards should be professional looking and not too wild in color or design unless your desired profession is graphic arts, Strauss said.
Business cards should contain your name, phone number, e-mail address and picture. It may also be useful to include your 25-word elevator pitch.
FedEx Kinko’s, which is now FedEx Office, sells business cards for $30 per 100 standard color business cards, or you can create and print them from home using Microsoft Word.
— Devin Sizemore, editor@nevadasagebrush.com
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