Dear Sam: As an adjunct professor, I have created a CV and embedded links to my website so potential employers will be able to view my training certificates, teaching evaluations, diplomas, and lists of seminars and other presentations. I was wondering what your take is on that approach. – Ben
Dear Ben: My first question would be, does that add value? If the answer is yes, then I think that is a perfectly appropriate approach that could add to reader engagement for select hiring managers. As you attached your CV and I could see what those links provided, however, I question the value doing this adds to your case. The training certificates and diplomas are unnecessary. One does not assume you are falsifying information, so listing training on your CV will suffice; there is no need for someone to look at the certificate. The lists of seminars and presentations are also contained on your CV so there is no additional value in taking the reader to a link to see the same list twice. As for the teaching evaluations, as they are difficult to read and only a handful of each of the comments are constructive comments from college students, I would lean toward pulling select excerpts out on your CV versus sending a reader to a link where he / she will need to comb through lots of comments to read a few strong ones.
Lastly, and perhaps most important, your website is very outdated. When you give someone a reason to jump off from reading your résumé, the information they are pushed toward needs to be impressive, add value, and reinforce the professionalism of your candidacy. I fear you developed your website in the late ‘90s when we were all learning rudimentary web development and design. Because of this, your website will reflect poorly on your candidacy and how relevant your skills are. Granted, I know you are not teaching web design or programming, but you must always consider the impression every aspect of your candidacy will make—from online to in-person. I am confident you can create your best brand on your CV without the use of external links, and that would be my recommendation. Best to you.
