With more employers and recruiters using sites like Google and Linkedin to source candidates and “check out” potential employees online, it's become critically important for job seekers to build and maintain a positive Web presence. The Web has become the medium of choice for candidate sourcing and recruiting and can be equally effective as a platform for individual job seekers.

Use Your CareerFolio as a Personal Marketing Tool Add Your URL to Career Correspondence Optimize Your Results with Keyword Loading Promote Your Candidacy During an Active Job Search Apply for Posted Jobs Leverage Your Cover Letter Sign up for Personal Search Agents Contact Employers Directly

Create a Confidential Resume Safeguard Your Privacy Checklist for Success Keyword Loading Related Articles

Hard Copy Cover Letters

Be sure to add your CareerFolio URL (Web address) to your hard copy cover letter. Here are some examples:

• Add the URL to your letterhead.
• Include the URL in context within the letter. Point out a specific fact or project that is detailed in your CareerFolio.
• Include the URL in a P.S. at the end of your cover letter.

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Apply for Posted Jobs More...

When responding to jobs that are posted online, DO NOT supply your Web resume or CareerFolio URL in lieu of a requested format.

If you are asked to email your resume:

• Change your cover letter's first paragraph so that it refers to your CareerFolio: example
• Paste text cover letter into your e-mail window.
• Paste text resume below cover letter or attach the requested format.

If you are asked to fax your resume, you can promote your CareerFolio by including its URL in the letterhead portion of your resume and cover letter.

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CareerFolios’ Checklist for Success

To optimize your CareerFolio Web Resume as a personal marketing tool:

1. "Keyword" your Resume: If your resume speaks the same language (i.e., keywords) as your potential employers, your CareerFolio will attract the kind of attention you want. See Keyword Loading
2. Actively Promote Your URL: See Career Correspondence
3. Manage Your CareerFolio as a Long Term Marketing Tool: Keep it updated, adjust content as your career progresses... and remember, it's always showtime!
4. Include a Link to Your Web Profile: LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, etc.
5. Publicize Your URL: Add your CareerFolio Web address to:

• Your profile on LinkedIn, FaceBook, etc.
• Your text resume (add to contact info at top)
• Your text cover letter (mention Web resume in first paragraph of cover letter)
• Hard copy resume and cover letters (add the URL to your letterhead)

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Career Correspondence More: E-mail Correspondence

During a non-confidential job search, there are many ways you can promote your CareerFolio Web resume when communicating with networking contacts, potential employers, and recruiters:

• Regular Mail: Include your CareerFolio URL on the "letterhead" portion of your hard copy resume and cover letter.
• Fax: Include your CareerFolio URL on your fax cover sheet.
• eMail: Add the URL to the signature line at the bottom of your e-mail:
  
  

  Christine Smithers View my web resume: www.careerfolios.com/csmithers/

  -OR-

  JIM CAMPBELL Senior Cost Analyst www.careerfolios.com/jimcampbell

• Text Cover Letter: Add a hyperlink from your e-mail to your CareerFolio Web resume. Ideally, this link should be placed near the top of the cover letter so that it is immediately visible to the recipient.

Additional Information: Writing Cover Letters for the Wired Job Market

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Cover Letter Writing

Cover Letters for the Wired Job Market by Pat Kendall, NCRW
This "How to" article provides links to text cover letter templates, samples with hyperlinks, strategies for keyword loading, and examples of text cover letters with links to Web resumes.

Cover Letters by Pat Kendall, NCRW

HOT TIP: Entice the reader! In your cover letter, briefly refer to "additional details" or "relevant projects" that are fleshed out in your CareerFolio Web resume. Your Goal: Motivate the reader to follow the link and read further!

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Direct Contact the Electronic Way

Check the employer's Web site to see if they provide instructions for resume submission. Carefully follow any instructions provided on the Web site.

When submitting your resume, consider sending multiple formats, as this approach allows the recipient to view or capture whatever version of the resume they need:

• Text Cover Letter: Paste your text cover letter into email.
• Text Resume: Paste your text resume below the cover letter.
• Word Resume: Attach your MS Word file.
• CareerFolio Web Resume: Include a live link from your text cover letter to your CareerFolio Web resume.

More: Job Search Correspondence

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Keyword Loading

Before launching any kind of personal marketing campaign, you should take steps to make sure that your resume is market-ready. In short, to work effectively your resume must speak the same keyword language as your potential employers.

Since most resumes are scored and ranked based on their keyword content, your objective is to find out which keywords employers want to see, and then build them into your resume. How to Research Your Job Target Keywords

Recruiters and employers use various approaches and systems to find candidates online and many believe that Web resumes are the best source for "untapped" candidates – i.e., passive job seekers.

Maximize Your Keywords = Maximize Your Results

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Use a Search Agent

If you sign up for a Personal Search Agent or Job Agent (free on most sites), keyword-matched jobs will be delivered to you by e-mail. For example, on Indeed.com, click on ADVANCED JOB SEARCH, select your PREFERENCES, and go from there!

You should always respond to posted jobs by submitting the requested resume format – typically Word or text.

To promote your CareerFolio when responding to posted jobs:

• Text Cover Letter: Include a live link in the opening paragraph of your cover letter as described here: How to Respond to Posted Jobs
• MS Word Cover Letter: Include your CareerFolio's URL in the letterhead portion of your hard copy cover letter.

To promote your CareerFolio when faxing or submitting your resume in MS Word format:

• Include your CareerFolio's URL in the letterhead portion of your hard copy resume.
• Include your CareerFolio's URL in the letterhead portion of your cover letter.

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Guard Your Privacy

If you have privacy concerns – or need to ensure that your job search is not discovered by your current employer – you should remove identifiers from your resume, change the document name and title, and follow the instructions provided here: Confidential Resumes

View Confidential Web Resume

Once you've taken the precautionary steps outlined in Confidential Resumes, you can start marketing your resume.

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The Online Portfolio: Show and Tell
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