Create A Personal Website To Get Hired

Join Isaiah as he explores when PhDs can benefit from having a personal website and how to create one for yourself

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode:

• First, Isaiah talks about why a personal website can help further cement your personal brand as a PhD looking to transition into industry
• Next, Isaiah explains some of the things you do (and don’t) want employers to see on your website
• And finally, Isaiah covers one important thing that every website needs to have in order to make a great impression on employers

From This Week’s Show…

A Personal Website Isn’t Always Necessary, But That Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Helpful

When it comes to getting hired in industry, building a professional brand that companies care about is the key to success. 

A great way for PhDs in industry to do this is to create a professional-looking website that showcases their work. 

Websites are what employers turn to to gauge your ability to help them. 

Forbes recently released a report indicating that 56% of employers favor candidates with a strong personal website. 

In fact, they’re more impressed by a website than any other element of a job candidate’s profile. 

Despite this, only 7% of job seekers have one. 

Think about that for a second – you can give yourself a leg up on 93% of candidates just by doing this one simple thing. 

It’s never been easier to create a personal website thanks to sites like Academia, Wix, WordPress and Carrd. 

But building a site on your own means running the risk of making rookie mistakes. 

So, let’s talk today about three things you can do to take your website from something ornamental to a career-building tool that makes you stand out in your job search. 

The very first thing that I want you to consider is whether your website has a clear call to action. 

So many PhDs fail in their job search because they aren’t seeing their resume, their portfolio, or their LinkedIn profile for what it is: a sales pitch. 

And what are you selling? You’re selling yourself. 

If you haven’t created an invitation to connect and a simple way to do it on your site, then you’ve missed the point of having a personal website altogether. 

Just Like Your Resume, Your Website Should Be Current And Tell A Clear Story About Your Experience

Another huge way that your website could be holding you back is if you aren’t keeping it up to date. 

Have you added any relevant volunteer experience?  Do you have testimonials you can add from colleagues, professors, or previous employers? 

Your site should have as much, if not more, information than your social media profile. 

It should also be organized in a way that emphasizes you – your brand – over your experience and academic identity. 

Include a photo and add links to samples of your work. 

Consider your website to be an open-ended conversation with employers.

They are looking to get a better idea of how you fit into their company culture. They want to know what you bring to the table. 

Next, you’re ready to put your resume on your website. But this resume – like your LinkedIn profile – must appeal to every employer you’re trying to attract, not just one employer. 

When you submit a resume online for a particular job, you want that resume targeted to just that one job. It needs to match that job posting very, very specifically. 

Here, since this resume will be on your public website, you’ll have to make it more broad. This means doing keyword research across many job postings. 

The last tip I have is so simple that you’d think it wouldn’t be worth mentioning:

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** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.