The Idea Blog

I’ve been with a few job hunters over the last several months, and I’m amazed by the relative lack of digital savvy they evidence in their self-promotion.

For instance, almost every resume I see is a Microsoft Word document. Even if it’s laid out and written by the same old standards I used for my resume in the 1970’s - and I don’t think it should be - why wouldn’t you save it and distribute it as a pdf so you can at least control the look, the pagination and more? And isn’t Adobe’s Acrobat Reader the more pervasive viewing platform for us all?

Okay, that’s the most basic. How about spicing things up a bit?

• Shoot and edit a YouTube video or Picasa slide show of still photos. Show us a bit of your personality.
• Start a blog on a topic you know something about … even if it’s your quest to win a winning job. Post often, and use multimedia tools to jazz it up a bit.
• Create links to some of your favorite things: favorite music, favorite web sites, favorite ads. It’s all out there; make it (at least partially) yours.
• In fact, why not make your CV or resume a springboard to a larger web of things about you? Links are easy (and pdf’s work well with links.
• Log into and create a profile on Linked In and/or Ziggs. This will help you take control of your online identity.
• Create your own web page. Jason Fry in the Wall Street Journal writes in his Real Time column that we’re on the verge of having personal web pages become as prevalent as cell phones, email and IM’s.

Want to stand out? Then stand out with the elements that make up your personal brand.