The international appeal of a digital resume

Finding and landing a job in any circumstances can be a difficult and time consuming task. This becomes even trickier when you are looking and applying for work internationally, especially if you are also dealing with a foreign language as well. A lot of your success will depend on timing, opportunity, persistence, an open mind, and a killer resume.

Brand yourself by going digital

Conventionally, a resume has been a single piece of paper, two maximum, outlining past work experience and skills. This changes slightly in regards to formatting and structure depending on country-specific conventions. You will first need to figure out the format and consult some international resume samples of the country you are applying in, and then go from there. Once you know you have the right format, it’s all about making yourself stand out and effectively branding yourself. Since a piece of paper is rather two-dimensional and begins to become outdated as soon as it is sent out, one particular method for branding that is starting to gain influence is a living digital resume.

A digital resume is really just a personal website that acts as an expanded version of your paper resume. It doesn’t need to be complex, as there are a plethora of website builders and easy to use templates out there with customizable design features – take a look here and see for yourself. A digital resume site really is incredibly easy to create and maintain without coding knowledge.

The ‘how’ to set it up is quite easy, but the ‘why’ is the really important question. Maintaining a digital resume helps to promote your professional brand in several ways:

It is always up to date

The majority of us who take our professional life very seriously are continuously improving our skills and experience. If your resume was last updated three months ago and you have attended workshops or completed certifications since then, that paper resume won’t reflect that. Directing a prospective employer to a digital resume that you can update on a regular basis means your resume always remains relevant and up-to-date.

You have more room to market yourself

Your paper resume has limited space for expansion; however, it can be used as the hook that baits a prospective employer to visit your digital version. In your digital version, you can elaborate more in-depth on your experience and qualifications that could not be included in the paper version. Scrolling through a well-designed digital version can also be a lot more engaging for employers, encouraging them to keep reading.

You can show instead of tell

Furthermore, in a digital resume you can actually show or give evidence of the skills and abilities that you outline on your paper resume. In this way it serves as an online portfolio, displaying your work and capabilities in a very tangible way. It also proves that you are modern, technologically savvy, and are aware of and adapt to current trends in the professional sphere.

You look professional and committed

Not only does having a digital resume or website make you look professional and get found more easily online – especially when linked to your professional networks, like your LinkedIn page – it displays a dedication to building your professional brand and career.

Ultimately, the trick to landing any job is to stand out from the rest of the competition. Since the majority of candidates applying for the same position look relatively the same on paper, a digital resume offers a prospective employer a more well-rounded, three-dimensional impression of you as a candidate in a way that paper simply cannot.

Image: [Bench Accounting]