If  you are job hunting and have a portfolio of work you need prospective employers or clients to see, then you should consider creating your own website.

You can use a website to demonstrate your talents much better than a plain CV. You can include examples of your work and testimonials from clients or previous employers. For example, http://www.keith-lambert.com/

This approach is ideal for the following creative professions. In many cases a website is expected from you if you work in these fields:

• Graphic designers
• Website developers
• Designers (Interior, Fashion etc)
• Actors
• Artists and photographers
• Models
• Anyone planning to go freelance in any field

One of the advantages of this approach is that you can circulate the link to your site on the internet – through jobs noticeboards, social networking and emails.

Other advantages include:

• You can include all aspects of your work using photos, sound and video to demonstrate your creativity
• You don’t have to carry a portfolio of your work around with you
• You can include the website link on your business cards at networking events
• You can drive traffic to your website to save you some footwork in approaching prospective employers
• Other people may see your website and recommend you to a friend/colleague

There are some things you need to consider though:

• To do a good job, and unless you are a web designer yourself, you will need to pay a professional to create the website for you.
• Creating a website is not a five minute job and takes planning, testing and maintenance.  It can take many weeks to establish depending on the complexity of the site
• You will need to ensure the content is up to date and fresh
• You will need to include a link to your traditional format CV so will need to ensure that  too looks professional
• Make sure that the website is clear and easy to read and has no errors, dud links or spelling mistakes
• You will need to choose domain name that is available and will have to pay a fee to register it.

Your site should include the following information:

• Your name
• Your credentials (qualifications and skills)
• What it is you do – sell yourself! Don’t just expect your work to speak for itself.
• Examples of your work and projects you have worked on
• Testimonials from satisfield employers/clients
• How to contact you (very important!)

As with your traditional CV, do NOT include any information that could potentially be used by criminals for fraudulent purposes!

If you need a professionally designed website to showcase your talents to prospective employers/clients, then Emerald Frog Marketing can help. We can even arrange the domain name and hosting for you.

Just contact us and we’ll be happy to help!