How to Build a Résumé Website that Employers Will Love

You’ve got a shining print résumé, but what about a CV or résumé website?

Well, I don’t need one.

Wrong.

Though a traditional résumé will always be useful in your job search, it is quickly becoming outdated in the modern world where everything has gone online. And if you really want to stand out from the crowd, building a résumé website is your best bet.

Okay. So, how do I go about creating one?

We’ve got you covered! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about résumé websites, from what they are and what to include, to steps to setting up your site and examples for inspiration.

What is a résumé website?

A CV or résumé website is essentially a digital version of a traditional résumé. Just like the print version, it provides a clear presentation of your background, skills and accomplishments as a way of introduction to potential employers, but in the form of a website.

A résumé website, meanwhile, is not to be confused with a résumé builder website. Whereas a résumé website is self-designed and a type of résumé format, a builder website is essentially an online tool that allows you to create a résumé using pre-made templates, which you then download (typically as a Word or PDF file) to use in your job search.

Résumé websites vs personal websites

For the most part, a résumé website and a personal website are essentially the same thing. They’re both used to introduce yourself and your brand to online audiences. But there are some key differences.

Firstly, CV/résumé websites are specifically geared towards potential employers, and are used to showcase your skills, qualifications and experience, just like a traditional résumé. While personal websites can also be used to market yourself as a jobseeker, they’re generally used for networking purposes or for converting site visitors into subscribers, readers or customers.

Perhaps the biggest difference, though, is the content. Though a personal website might provide information about the owner’s background, it generally focuses on image and video displays of their previous work and the services that they offer. A résumé website, on the other hand, is more text-based, and provides a detailed rundown of the owner’s work history, educational background and skills.

When to use a résumé website

A résumé website comes in handy in many situations, particularly when you’re:

• Looking for a job (whether actively or passively)
• Changing careers
• Looking for freelance opportunities
• Establishing yourself as a professional consultant in your field
• Building your online presence

That said, résumé websites are especially useful for creative professionals (like actors, musicians, photographers and writers) and all sorts of freelancers, as it helps them effectively market their technical skills and showcase their work to potential employers.

Benefits of a résumé website

There are many benefits to creating a résumé website, including:

• You keep up with the times. Everything and everyone is online these days. By creating your own résumé website, you show potential employers and clients that you are tech-savvy — an essential quality in today’s technology-focused world. Ultimately, it gives you an edge over the competition.
• It makes you more discoverable.You don’t have to be actively searching for jobs to come across opportunities. In fact, a well-written, SEO-driven website has the power to attract employers and recruiters searching for the skills you possess.
• You can cover your background more extensively. While traditional résumés are limited to 1–2 pages in length, a website allows you to expand on your skills and achievements in greater detail and, ultimately, it provides a more rounded picture of your personality, preferences and abilities.
• It’s more dynamic than a traditional résumé. There’s so much more you can do with a résumé website than a paper version, like adding multiple links to different sections of your site, companies you’ve worked for and published work, as well as adding photos and graphics.
• It’s easily shareable. You can share your website anywhere — on your résumé, in your email signature and on your social media profiles. You can even share a link to your website to potential contacts you meet in person — chances are, after all, that you won’t be carrying your print résumé with you everywhere you go.

What to include

At the very least, your website should include:

• A homepage featuring catchy introductory material — this should serve as a table of contents of sorts to your site’s sections.
• An about or bio page, offering visitors a summary of who you are and what you do.
• Dedicated pages for your work history, education and skills and, optionally, awards, publications, testimonials and any other useful information.
• Your contact details — if you’re worried about your information being publicly available on the internet, consider setting up a dedicated email address and getting a second phone number for professional purposes; it’s also a good idea to add a contact form connected to your email address.
• Links to your LinkedIn and social media profiles so that employers can connect with you — this also helps you better establish your digital presence.
• A professional photo — this means no distracting selfies, snaps from an alcohol-infused night out, wedding photos, or anything else that could hinder your professional image and, as a result, candidacy for job opportunities.
• An optional blog where you can share your expertise and thought leadership.
• An optional portfolio highlighting your skills and best work.
• A download link to your résumé — make sure you save your document as a PDF file so that it can be read across different computers and so its layout and fonts are maintained.

How to create a résumé website

Now the juicy part: how to make (and set up) your CV or résumé website. Here are the steps you’ll need to follow.

1. Determine your goal

Before diving in, think about why you’re creating this website: is it to land a job, attract freelance clients, build your personal brand, or showcase your work?

Defining your goal from the start helps shape everything else, from design decisions to content creation — and, most importantly, effectively communicating your value to potential employers and clients.

2. Pick a web hosting provider

Next up, you’ll need to find a company that will host your website on its servers and make it accessible on the internet. And that’s where a web hosting service provider (like Bluehost or SiteGround) comes in.

When choosing a provider, evaluate the features it offers, particularly in terms of reliable uptime, good customer support, free SSL certificates and fast page load speeds — no one likes a slow website, after all!

3. Select a website builder

Once you’ve arranged a web hosting provider, it’s time to look into a decent website builder to put your résumé website together.

Some good options include Squarespace and Wix, which offer drag-and-drop functionality and predesigned templates. For more customization and control, though, a builder like WordPress may be the best choice.

This tool will be your creative hub, so pick one that fits your comfort level and needs, and that you’ll enjoy working with.

4. Register a domain name

Pick a domain name that’s simple and professional, ideally containing your name or something closely related to your profession, like “johnsmith.com” or “johnsmithwriter.com” — a strong domain is your digital first impression, so make sure it represents you well!

You’ll typically be able to register a domain name with your website builder, either as an add-on or as part of your selected plan. Otherwise, you can use a domain name registrar like GoDaddy or Domain.com, and then transfer the domain across.

5. Choose a website theme

Most website builders offer a selection of customizable themes to choose from for your résumé website. Depending on your plan, you might also have access to premium themes or be able to upload third-party themes to use.

Whichever theme you choose for your website, it’s important that it’s simple, clean, professional and modern — not to mention easy to use and navigate.

6. Create a site structure

Before you start building your résumé website, sketch out its structure to keep everything as organized as possible and ensure a seamless user experience.

At the very least, your website should include the following pages:

• Home
• Résumé
• Portfolio
• Contact

While planning your website’s layout, it’s also a good idea to make a note of what you want each page to feature — this will make the content creation process easier.

7. Write your professional summary

Your homepage acts as the gateway to your entire website, making it a great place to introduce yourself to potential employers and clients with a compelling professional summary.

This is essentially your elevator pitch. In about 150 words, mention who you are and what you do, and talk about your strengths, achievements and unique selling points — while adding a touch of personality.

8. Add your résumé/CV

Create a dedicated page for your résumé or CV, splitting the page into the sections you did for your résumé — namely your experience, skills and education, as well as optional extras like awards, certifications and professional memberships.

Unlike your print or digital document, where space is limited, you can expand on the information as needed, or even go with the “less is more” approach.

9. Showcase your portfolio

If you’ve got creative work or projects, showcasing your portfolio on your résumé website is crucial.

Create a dedicated page for this, and organize similar projects into groups for easy navigation — but make sure to only highlight examples of your best work.

Meanwhile, make it a point to use high-quality images (if applicable) and to provide context for each project: describe your role, the challenges you faced, and the results. Remember: a portfolio isn’t just a gallery — it’s proof of your skills in action, so make it shine!

10. Highlight your skills

One of the main things that employers and clients will be looking at is whether you’ve got what it takes to do the job — in other words: your technical skills and industry knowledge.

This means it’s a good idea to highlight your skills on your résumé website, either in the résumé section or as a separate page.

Consider adding visual elements, like skill bars or progress indicators, to showcase your proficiency, especially if you work in tech. Meanwhile, consider grouping similar skills into relevant categories, like technical skills and languages.

11. Include testimonials or references

Adding testimonials or references from clients, coworkers or supervisors is a great way to boost your credibility and can act as social proof for your reliability and performance. For extra authenticity, be sure to include the person’s name, job title and company for each endorsement.

Ideally, create a dedicated page for testimonials, and consider adding a “preview” of sorts on your homepage.

12. Add a contact page

One of the most important components of any website is a contact page, through which potential employers or clients can get in touch with you.

Here, you should list your email address and, if you’re comfortable, phone number so that you’re easily reachable, while you should also add a contact form (for the introverts who want to contact you).

13. Incorporate a blog

While not necessary, adding a blog to your website can be a great way to showcase your thought leadership and industry expertise — ultimately boosting your credibility among potential employers and clients.

If you do add a blog section, make sure to post regularly for better results. One post per week (or even month) is fine, though Neil Patel suggests publishing at least three posts per week if you want to make money from your blog.

14. Integrate social media links

Either in the header or footer of your website (or both), make sure to add links to your social media profiles, like Facebook, Instagram, X and especially LinkedIn. That said, avoid linking to personal accounts, and instead set up dedicated profiles for professional purposes.

15. Optimize for SEO

When preparing your website’s content, make sure to optimize it for search engines by naturally incorporating relevant keywords, labeling images with alt text, using descriptive URLs and crafting quality meta descriptions.

All this makes your website rank higher on Google, making it easier for recruiters and clients to find you.

16. Make your site mobile-friendly

When putting your résumé website together, one thing to keep in mind throughout the entire process is its mobile responsiveness — its ability to adapt content based on the device it’s being viewed on.

The good news is that most website builders offer mobile-friendly templates, but even then, it’s still important to check if your website looks good and is easy to navigate on smartphone, tablet and desktop devices.

17. Add a downloadable résumé

Although your résumé website serves as the digital version of well, your résumé, and visitors can easily locate the information they need across its pages, it’s important to include a downloadable link to your offline résumé (as a PDF). Indeed, some employers prefer having a copy they can save, print or share.

You can add this at the end of your “Résumé” page or, for more accessibility, as a button within your website’s header as an actionable CTA (like “Download My Résumé”).

18. Test for performance

Before launching it, thoroughly test your website to make sure everything works properly. This includes testing contact forms, links and interactive features, checking for responsiveness, and using tools like PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to ensure fast load times.

It’s also a good idea to get feedback from friends and colleagues on your site’s overall usability and design. Often, they’ll be able to draw your attention to any issues you might’ve missed — which, left unaddressed, could hinder user experience and, ultimately, deter visitors.

19. Enable analytics tracking

You’re close to launching your website, but there’s one final step to take: setting up analytics tracking (through Google Analytics or a similar tool) to track site traffic and visitor behavior.

This will help you understand who is visiting your website and what they’re engaging with. With these insights, you’ll be able to determine whether your site is effectively attracting the right audience and make data-driven improvements in terms of content, keywords and overall user experience.

20. Launch and promote

Once you’ve put your website together, you’ve tested it thoroughly, and you’re happy with the end result, it’s time to finally launch it for the world to see!

Don’t forget to share your website on your social media pages (especially LinkedIn!), include it in your email signature, link to it from your résumé, promote it on industry forums, and even tell your friends and colleagues. The more you promote it, the more you increase its visibility.

Résumé website examples

Need some inspiration for creating your own résumé website? Check out these awesome examples below!

Pascal van Gemert

One of the many great things about Pascal van Gemert’s one-page résumé website is how it effectively captures his personality — from the Captain America background on the page intro to the famous quotes interspersed between sections. The Dutch PHP web developer even asks visitors who copy his site’s design to make a donation and effectively buy him a beer!

Van Gemert’s website isn’t only clean and beautifully designed, but it’s also user-friendly, complete with a handy sticky sidebar navigating visitors to the profile, experience, skills, projects and contact sections.

Gary Le Masson

Gary Le Masson has designed his website to look like Google’s interface — quite fitting for a web analytics consultant!

Using Drupal, Le Masson has created four separate sections for his website:

• Web Analytics, where he describes his work and expertise
• References, which details the companies he’s worked with
• Google Resume, which displays his skills, experience and more as a Google search results page
• Contact, which contains a contact form and his contact details

Le Masson’s website comes complete with a Google Knowledge Graph (containing personal details like his age, height and location), links to his social media accounts and a Google-inspired Gary logo.

Robby Leonardi