by Fred Coon

What if you could find a way to get around the gatekeepers and get directly to the entire management team of a company you were targeting in your job search? What a hiring authority wants is a quick-to-read understanding of who you are and why they should hire you. What they usually get are thousands of look-alike resumes that all say the same thing.

Web portfolios (ours is called WebFolioTM) come in many sizes and shapes. These can range from a simple Front Page presentation containing a resume or a professionally constructed work of art. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Whatever you do, do it right.

The beauty of a WebFolioTM is that you are no longer limited to a 1-3 page resume. A WebFolioTM can open a gateway to the “real you” and offer the reader an in-depth exposure to the “holy grail” of questions–“Why should we hire you? “A WebFolioTM is not limited to a certain length; you expose the reader not only to the wealth of skills you have, but how you achieved what you did. This last concept is the most critical when communicating your worth. More to the point, a WebFolioTM must quickly communicate three concepts: A) Why they should hire you, B) what you bring that will make them money, and C) the breadth of your experience, expressed in quantifiable, measurable terms.

At Stewart, Cooper & Coon our recruiters use this form of communication, almost exclusively, with hiring authorities to sell our candidates. The most used word when viewing a properly constructed WebFolioTM is “WOW.” We are amazed how fast they send them around the company for others to view. Is this good? You bet! Why? Because a WebFolioTM will be seen first by those you will be working with; then the HR department will be the last to see it. Another feature of this type of document is that you can show that you have the modern technical savvy required in today’s competitive marketplace. Make sense now?

The Ten Commandments of a properly constructed WebFolioTM.

  1. No fancy colors and “cutesy” or script fonts or cartoons.
  2. No large fonts that are in your mind used to “emphasize” some point.
  3. Plenty of white space and easily readable script and short paragraphs.
  4. It must be industry and job specific. Do not try to be everything to everybody.
  5. Sections that display specific points or have a specific objective.
  6. Clear, concise, factual statements about your accomplishments.
  7. Must have quantifiable, measurable accomplishments.
  8. Each concept page must be able to be read in 12 seconds.
  9. Each reader must be able to retain at least one or two concepts about you after scanning the page.
  10. Simple is more powerful and effective.

TV and radio media types measure communication time in “sound bites.” We measure the WebFolioTM in “View BitesTM.” The objective is to present each aspect of your career and your successes to the hiring authority or any reader in less than 12 seconds. Any event on any page of a properly constructed WebFolioTM can be read in 7-12 seconds. Why is this important? Because, the hiring authority is busy and doesn’t want to take a lot of time to read boring material.

There are many companies producing “web portfolios.” Like any consumer service, some are poor, some are good, and a few are excellent. My advice is to shop around, explore what is out there and then invest in your future. You won’t go wrong if you follow the 10 steps outlined above.

A final note: Stewart, Cooper & Coon does not sell or provide this service to anyone except to our executive clients. An example of one of the WebFolioTM formats we use may be viewed by going to the following link: http://www.stewartcoopercoon.com/webres/bhorton/.

Good Luck!