As we move beyond the days of the plain paper resume, it is important to understand how to best utilize the media-rich environment of the web as we step into the future of self-promotion online. Having your own web site opens up the possibilities for presenting yourself professionally. The following are some examples of items you could include in your portfolio or in other areas of your profile to give it extra appeal.

• Work samples including written documents, photos, presentations, video files and/or audio files.
• Copies of certifications or awards you have received in connection with your profession.
• Web links to any professional works you have online such as a professional blog you maintain, online news articles about works you have done or a job related user group that you run.
• Any instances where you have been filmed or interviewed.
• Consider making a short video resume of yourself, highlighting the major skills you have to offer an employer. Video clips should optimally be about 1 minute in length and no more than 2 minutes long. Employers typically are not going to spend more than 2 minutes watching a video clip.
• With the permission of your references, you could post reference letters. Better yet, ask if any of your references would be willing to give you a video reference.
• Any other items you might normally find in a portfolio of work.
• You could also make your portfolio a listing of your achievements, awards or other important information that you want to highlight. In this case, you might want to change the page title to reflect what information you are showcasing. See Sample Site 1 for an example of an alternate use of the portfolio page.