IU graduate creates online resume site for job seekers

Most people imagine their resumes on an 8.5-by-11-inch piece of white paper. But for telecommunications graduate Jace Freeman, it's a Web site -- an idea that became the basis for his new business, Digital-Resume.\nStarted in Bloomington in August, Digital-Resume offers a new way to put paper resumes online for employers to see. The company presents Flash Web-designed resumes at personal domains for about $50 a year.\nFreeman said personalized Web pages provide more depth than standard paper resumes.\n"It's a good tool to aid in the job search while also connecting with a personalized site," Freeman said. "Yes, people have the resume, but they don't have anything to actually show themselves to employers." \nFreeman sets up each domain based on the person's name -- for instance, his domain is www.jacefreeman.com -- which is different from less-personalized databases such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. The domain can be finished within 48 hours after a person uploads his or her resume to the site.\nFreeman said he also hopes the Web site will expand to students interested in designs who can add more to personalize their domains and impress potential employers.\n"It's like an online business card which shows potential," Freeman said.\nWeb-based resumes provide job seekers a more seamless connection to potential employers. Through a Google search by name, a person's resume will appear in the form of a Web site, whereas other sites require employers to go through a database. \nAlthough the expansive nature of a personal domain has its benefits, some students are wary of their information getting into the wrong hands.\n"With a paper resume, only one person can get ahold of your information. Having it available online makes it available for anyone," said senior Gretchen Schluze.\nBut Director of the Career Development Center Patrick Donahue said the added exposure that a Web site offers has benefits, too.\n"If students want to market themselves, this can give them great exposure (to employers)," Donahue said. "However, it depends on how much you want to be exposed."\nDonahue said that although Web-based resumes have certainly altered the job search process, landing the job of your choice requires the same elements it always has.\n"There must still be an informational interview, and the bottom line is still for everyone to find out more about job experiences and what you have done," Donahue said.\nFreeman said he feels very positive and encouraged by his new company, which he hopes will grow after a big marketing push at IU.\n"It's important that people take the (domain name) before someone else can put their name on a Web site," Freeman said. "It really shows how technologically capable and how ahead of your time you are."\nFor more information, visit www.digital-resume.com.