Problem Description
CV and resume web site templates are not easy to use. They should be. My experience is that if a person wants a professional online presence, then having a personal CV or resume is an important part. These days it is critical to have a website to go along with the resume document, in order to give the applicant an edge over the competition. There is only so much one can do with a paper resume, but a fully customizable, savvy, and progressive web site resume tells the prospective employer something about the individual. Among other things:
- It shows that you are invested in your future and your goals, and willing to go the extra mile to succeed.
- It showcases your achievements (portfolio gallery) in a broad sense, rather than the fragment that is edited for the quick and easily digestible resume hard copy.
- It provides links to any other social websites, publications, or other personal/public web activities (maybe a link to another site where you received an award at a ceremony, gave a presentation, or were a guest speaker at some event).
The core of the problem is that the web templates that can be bought online often require at least basic programming skills to edit the HTML or PHP file, which limit their accessibility for many potential users.
Project Goals
One solution to help make a web site resume easy for anyone to do, is to take out the need to have programming skills. I would like to create a website that lets the user interact in real time, while they create a custom resume or CV. The site would include a menu of options for sections typically found in a resume i.e. Education, Hobbies, Skills, etc. The user would select the ones they want and the order in which they appear. Then, all the user has to do is literally cut and paste sections from their resume document into the corresponding sections on the web site. They will also be able to choose from a glossary of fonts, themes, skins, backgrounds. They should be able to upload pictures of themselves for the profile and other sections like the portfolio. There should be a contact form (php please!).
What makes this a great project for a computer engineer team is that the code would have to be dynamic and written as the user creates the web page they want. The goal is then to generate an index file along with all the necessary web tools to include in a folder that can be uploaded to the client’s server for publication on the web. It should also include all the web tools i.e. font icons using CSS, and anything else that is needed for the page. The final product should look good on all web browsers and tablets.
Constraints
- I’ll leave this open for input from the team.
Criteria
- Must be as user friendly as possible, while still providing a professional and progressive web site presence.
Resources
I believe that the web site can be created with open source software form the web.
Licensing
This will become intellectual property to be sold as an online tool. Bucknell could also be given the option to buy it and make it accessible to all students through the career development office.
Impact
There is a huge need for this kind of application that can be used by literally anyone with a computer and a resume. I do realize that a domain and server must first be acquired, but maybe it could be worked in to the site somehow. Something like this could be sold for possibly $10-15/ user. There are web templates out there that have sold 10’s of thousands of copies for people with programming skills. If it can be done, it could reach millions of people without computer skills. If acquired by Bucknell, it could be a legacy for the students who work on the project, and for the computer engineering department.
Point of Contact
Prof. Jim McMichael, Department of Biology
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