If you want to build the career of your dreams, you have to start by building your personal brand. We've partnered with Squarespace to help you do just that. Remember to use code 'THEMUSE17' to get 10% off your first purchase when creating your own personal website.
These days, personal websites aren’t limited to people who work in in tech or creative jobs with portfolios they want to share. After all, selling yourself for a job is tough, and having an online hub showcasing your experience, personality, and work gives you an amazing opportunity to tell your story.
But here’s something else: Hiring managers in more and more industries are beginning to expect that you have a site. They don’t just want you to tell them that you’re passionate about and qualified for the job in your resume and cover letter, they want you to show it.
We pulled together four industries that expect you to have one—if not now, then very soon. See your current (or desired) field on the list? We’ll also show you how to get ahead of the curve before everyone else starts catching on.
1. Take an Educational Approach to Health and Wellness
As a booming space that counts wellness-based apps like ClassPass, health-focused hardware giants like FitBit and Jawbone, and of course countless gyms and studios, the health and wellness industry has all kinds of opportunities to help people improve their quality of life. And if you want to break in, your focus should be on the ways you can train and empower people to do that.
Use your personal site to share a bio that incorporates your own wellness narrative, like your half-marathon training schedule, the reasons you decided to become vegan or gluten-free, or anything else that shows how much you care about staying healthy and helping others do the same.
Want to go above and beyond? Craft content that showcases your favorite recipes, workouts, or expert resources. And if you’ve coached or advised others, weave in testimonials that speak to your ability to inspire and help others achieve a healthy lifestyle. And, of course, don’t forget to include any applicable coaching or health credentials.
2. Show You’re Hospitable
Looking to land a gig at a resort, hotel, or even a top-notch restaurant? Use a personal website to show what makes you stand out from the rest of the hospitality crowd.
In this industry it's important to show you're a people person by putting your personality front and center. Focus on a clean main page with your bio, social links, and a photo. Then, use your site to highlight your skills with specific examples to back them up. This could be a page with details about a cooking program, hotel or kitchen internship, or anecdotes from the sommelier class you took abroad for fun. Don’t forget to add logos and links for professional groups you’re a part of, along with any industry-wide publications you’ve contributed to.
Remember that quality is important when it comes to the storytelling you do on your website. So make sure any extra content you have truly captures who you are and what your goals are, be it to land a job working on a world-class wine program or as a chef in the kitchen of your dreams.
3. Add Some Wanderlust to Your Website
We have to admit: some of the coolest full-time and freelance jobs we see come from the tourism and travel industry. Since most of these roles call for a true love of travel, being able to talk about where you’ve been, how you made each trip happen, and what the experience was like will show a hiring manager how much of an obvious culture fit you are.
Show off relevant skills using storytelling that suits the work you’re hoping to do. For example, if you’re applying for a social media role, stream your own live Instagram feed of places you’ve traveled to front and center on your website. If the job is more editorial, think about including a thoughtful blog with smart location-based categories and tags, as well as an archive page that shows off each city or landmark you’ve loved.
If you’re more of the technical type, consider setting up a dynamic photo gallery that gives a glimpse into your favorite places. Did you bring your GoPro on your last trip? Pop some of your fave travel-themed footage into a couple of videos and upload them to your site—your passion will show through loud and clear.
4. Rock the Runway With Real Results—and Real Data
If you want to land work in fashion or beauty, you don’t need to be a style blogger or run your own YouTube channel to show industry cred. What you do need? A personal site that shares your background in a bio, incorporating both your formal education and how your interest in the industry has evolved.
Beyond that, there are some obvious ways to show your interest: If you’re into makeup, create a how-to video with your favorite techniques. Focused on styling or design? Create a photo gallery with looks you’ve designed or curated.
If you’re going into jobs like merchandising or buying, creating pages to showcase specific, results-oriented work where your picks affected the bottom line for your clients or employer is extra compelling. Include stats that speak to sales by season or quarter, and consider incorporating a section where you can share your favorite industry products and trends. This is an especially great tactic if you’re new to the industry and don’t have much previous work to call on.
Of course, these are just a few of the industries where an online presence is important—a site can show your passion and work in everything from education to entertainment. But remember that no matter the industry, your website should communicate who you are and what you do well. If you’re able to keep it simple and let your personality and expertise shine through, you’ll put yourself in a great spot to have the professional conversations you crave and ultimately, land a job you love.