Getting Started / Features Up Close
Let’s look more closely at some of the VisualCV features that help liven up your resume.
What's in the big column?
The wide column on a VisualCV contains pretty much what a traditional resume or CV offers—such as contact information, objectives, summary of qualifications, work history, and education—with these enhancements:
Information about company and academic institutions—When your resume contains the name of a company or school, the VisualCV automatically displays key information about that entity (such as size, type, revenue, ranking, and contact information) when a person viewing your VisualCV hovers the cursor over the name. We derive this information from credible sources such as Standard & Poor's Capital IQ, Dow Jones VentureSource, and The Princeton Review.
Did you know that recruiters often research company and education information, a time-consuming part of the resume review process? The information popup feature puts this information at the recruiter’s fingertips, freeing up time to investigate the other parts of your resume.
- Definitions of key terms—In an upcoming release, the VisualCV will also link industry “buzz words” such as Ruby on Rails or the “James static coefficient of friction machine” to definitions of these terms. Similar to the inline hovers described above, the VisualCV displays this information when a viewer hovers the cursor over the term. The VisualCV will derive these definitions from sources such as Wikipedia.
You'll even be able to change this text if you need to. Suppose you abbreviated “Ruby on Rails” to just “Rails,” a general term used to mean anything from the hardware that guides trains to a type of wetland bird. By modifying this text, you can make sure that viewers see an accurate definition of Rails in this context: a web framework for the Ruby programming language. We of course recommend editing this text with discretion!
- Sections that are easy to search and update—Because the information in this section is organized beneath meaningful headings, recruiters can quickly pull out the key facts they need. It is also easy to quickly tailor a VisualCV for a particular viewer by copying a VisualCV you have already created and editing the sections as needed.
What's in the small column?
Now let’s look at what's in the narrower column of a VisualCV. This column contains your references and the portfolio part of your VisualCV—the part that really brings your personality and skills to life! In your VisualCV portfolio, you can add:
- Documents such as university diplomas; training certificates; white papers, articles, or user guides that you have written; news clippings in which you have been quoted; letters of recommendation; or brochures that you have created
- Images such as a photo of you winning an award or a screen shot of a website you have designed
- Videos that give viewers an idea of your presentation style, demonstrate how to use a product you helped develop, or even show a colleague endorsing your strengths
- Audio clips that tell a recruiter why you're a good fit for the job, in your own words, or even showcase a musical score that you've written
- Charts that draw attention to your key points, such as sales performance, quality improvement or defect reduction metrics, or length of time you have been using certain tools
Combined with the text sections of your VisualCV, all of these elements will create a powerful portfolio that not just tells, but shows what you have done and what you can do.
If you prefer, you can showcase your portfolio in the wide column of your VisualCV.
Where should I go next?
- Two Easy Steps: See how easy it is to get started.