How To List HubPages on Your Resume or CV

As if writing a resume or a curriculum vitae (CV) is not challenging enough, now many of us experienced writers are wondering if our work on HubPages should be included on the document. If the answer is "yes," then how do we do that and where do we add it?

"Is it a hobby?"

"Is it volunteering?"

"Is it professional publication?"

"Is it work experience?"

"I have a resume and a curriculum vitae, so where should I put it, which one?"

"Is HubPages worth listing?"

The answer is as varied as the questions; the answer is "it depends." As frustrating an answer this might be, there are a number of things to consider in what to put on a resume because it depends on the job one seeks to obtain. A resume is a self-marketing tool, a document, that presents your skills and knowledge to a prospective employer about a particular career or employment position. According to Cornell University, resumes are reviewed and considered by employers to:

• Screen applicants and make decisions about who to interview. Employers look for evidence that a candidate will be of value to their organization.
• Develop interview questions.
• Judge an applicant's communication skills.
• Remind them of how a candidate's experiences have prepared him or her for the job.

Before you can make a decision of where to put HubPages on your resume or CV, you need to determine whether your work on HubPages should be listed at all. Consider three important factors:

1. Consider the quality of your hubs. If there is one thing that is stressed over and over again by the HubPages staff and other hubbers who give advice on "How to Write a Stellar Hub," it is to write a quality hub. That means make it relevant, unique, interesting, grammatically correct, and that it effectively communicates the intended idea of the writer. In addition, there are a number of "don'ts" including: plagiarism, offensive language, inflammatory comments, copyright infringement, etc. There are no short cuts. There are a number of indicators on whether your hub is a quality one, which include but are not limited to: readership, feedback, comments, and hub score. Because a resume or CV is a highlight of your skills, knowledge, and abilities, listing HubPages on these documents can be risky if the work is not high quality. For example:

"Jennifer" is a 20-year old undergraduate student. Although, she has been working in retail for the past year, she applies for secretarial positions. Because she has no previous office experience, she decides to list HubPages as evidence of her computer and writing skills. The employer reviews "Jennifer's" travel hub and finds the hub contains a fragmented sentence and misuse of the word "their" (as in "their," "there," and "they're"). Furthermore, the paragraphs in the hub are too long. Because Jennifer did not use several text boxes or other capsules to "break it up," the large blocks of text make the hub difficult to read. Chances are that the employer will not contact "Jennifer" for an interview. The employer already knows enough about "Jennifer's" writing ability to decide she is not the right candidate.*

2. Consider the relevancy of your hubs. There are many talented writers on HubPages. Many have specific expertise on a topic based on real-world experiences. Consider listing the hub titles of the ones that are relevant to the position sought. Field expertise and quality writing ability can create a powerful synergy. For example:

"Pat" has ten years experience as a computer technician. He is now looking for greener pastures with another company, ABC; and he writes hubs about basic computer repairs on HubPages. ABC can get the impression that not only does "Pat" know how to fix computers but he is passionate about what he does because he writes about it during his free time. If the employer reviews "Pat's" hubs and finds that they are high-quality, the employer discovers that "Pat" has additional skills that may serve the employer in a variety of ways. Furthermore, the employer learns that "Pat's" passion for computer repair extends beyond himself because he shares his knowledge with others for free. And that is just the kind of employee ABC wants working for them. All ABC had to do was review the resume, not even talk to "Pat," and make those determinations. My guess is that ABC will at least want to meet "Pat" in person.*

3. Consider the totality of the work you created on HubPages. You may have some great quality hubs and hubs that are relevant to the position you seek but what about the totality of the work you created on HubPages? Chances are, if you list the titles of some position-relevant hubs, the employer will look them up online. Once the employer gets to your HubPages profile, he or she will have the opportunity to view all of your published work. Perhaps you have hubs that require review to correct typos, grammatical errors, or quality. Perhaps you drafted hubs that are deeply personal, have controversial viewpoints, or strict criticisms. Consider "unpublishing," which keeps the hub in your queue but the hub remains invisible to others. Polish that profile, which is visible to all, to make it look professional. Review the photos you use in your hubs for appropriateness, copyright infringement, and relevance. Your profile page and the photos you use in your hubs are included in the totality of the work you created on HubPages. For example:

"Samantha," an unemployed mother of two, is ready to return to the workplace as an elementary school teacher. She wrote many wonderful hubs on dealing with school age children, homeschooling, DIY arts and crafts for children, and parenting and listed these hubs by title on her resume - all relevant to the position of an elementary school teacher. "Samantha" also wrote a hub entitled "How to Deal with an Ex-Wife" wherein she blasts her husband's ex-wife, shares the nasty text messages (curses and all) and details blow-out fights (that include stalking, screaming, and police intervention) that occurred in front of the children. The hub about the ex-wife is likely to blow "Samantha's" chances of getting an interview; in fact, her resume will likely be filed in the trash can.*

There are a number of formats for resumes; and you will have to determine which will best serve your purpose: chronological, functional, combined, or visual. (U.S. News and World Report). Headings within a resume will likely include: education, experience, activities, skills, and hobbies and interests. Where you place your HubPages writing experience depends on how relevant it is to the position you are seeking. List your work on HubPages in only one section. Do not place it repeatedly under multiple headings. Here are some tips on how to get the most mileage out of your HubPages experience on your resume:

Experience Section: Place your HubPages writing experience under this heading if you have gaps in your employment history or if you are applying for a position as a professional writer or editor. It is important to clarify this as "self employment." Most of us contribute work to HubPages; we do not work for HubPages as a member of its staff. Recall "Samantha," the stay-at-home mom who is looking to return to teaching. This is likely the best place for her to list her work on HubPages.*

Skills Section: Purdue University explains how a skills section on a resume can be useful, in fact, just as important as the experience section: "a skills section may be helpful when you want to emphasize the skills you have acquired from your various jobs or activities...If you do not have enough previous experience for a specific job you are seeking for, it is important to emphasize your skills." Remember "Jennifer"? If "Jennifer's" hubs were high quality, this is exactly the section where she would list her HubPages experience.*

Activities, hobbies, and interests sections: Many employers are looking for well-rounded employees. These sections give the employer insight as to who the candidate is. Still, it is not necessary or useful to list many personal interests or hobbies. The Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech suggests that these sections on a resume should be used to include interests that are "very important to you and that make a statement about who you are" while being relevant to the position. Remember "Pat" the computer technician? This is where he listed his HubPages experience.*

While most of us are familiar with the purpose of a resume and how to draft one, we are less familiar with the purpose and drafting of a curriculum vitae (CV). The two are very different. Most positions that require a curriculum vitae will ask for the submission of one. According to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill:

"In contrast (to a resume), a CV is a fairly detailed overview of your life’s accomplishments, especially those most relevant to the realm of academia. As such, these documents have their greatest utility in the pursuit of a job in academia or research."

In addition to having many of the same sections as a resume, a CV contains a section entitled "Publications" and "Areas of Interest". The "Areas of Interest" section is a listing of one's academic interests.

The inclusion of your work on HubPages on a CV should be considered with extra care. Publishing on HubPages is not the same as publishing in professional journals that lend academic credibility to your work. HubPages is self-publishing; and that is very different from peer-reviews that come along with publishing in professional journals, publishing companies, and newspapers. As much as we all enjoy the outlet provided by HubPages, I believe it is safe to say that a significant number of writers on HubPages are not academicians. That does not mean that there is not great work on HubPages; rather, most writers here do it as a hobby, for personal therapeutic and community support purposes, to develop talent and skills as a writer, or to "break into the writing business."

That being said, HubPages can still be effective on a CV if used thoughtfully and properly and are academic in nature. Keep the list of your hubs to a minimum (2-3 hubs) in the "publications" section; and keep the list focused on your research interests. Listing your travel hubs, recipe hubs, and "how to" hubs on a CV can reduce your credibility as an academician. Make sure the hubs you list are perfect with complete citations. When in doubt, keep it out!

If you are new to my personal work on HubPages, let me share, "in a nutshell," how this platform worked for me:

A former professor of mine learned about my hub "Affirmative Action: Is it Still Necessary in the 21st Century?" He loved it and asked me if I was interested in expanding the hub into a chapter for his anthology Controversies in Affirmative Action. I did it. Similarly, I developed a series of hubs from my law school thesis, received feedback, and made the decision to submit it to ABC-CLIO, Praeger Publishing (along with my resume and CV listing academically-relevant hubs), which became my first book How Do Hurricane Katrina's Winds Blow? Racism in 21st Century New Orleans.

In the end, during 2014, I had nine different publications with the publisher.

No matter what you decide, whether to include your HubPages experience on your resume or CV or whether you decide to leave it off completely, know that the work that you create on HubPages makes a difference. It makes a difference to you; and it makes a difference to others. I encourage you to make the most out of your HubPages experience. You never know what opportunities will come as a result of your work on HubPages: friendships, relatability, developing skills, or the professional position for which you have been waiting.

Special thanks to WheelerWife for inspiring this hub.

Cornell University. "Resume Purpose." Cornell University Career Services. 2015. http://www.career.cornell.edu/story/resumes/purpose.cfm. Access date: February 7, 2013.

Purdue University. "Skills Section." Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Mar. 11, 2013. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/719/05/. Access date: February 8, 2015.

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. "Curricula Vitae versus Resumes." The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. 2010-2012. http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/curricula-vitae-cvs-versus-resumes/. Access date: February 8, 2015.

Virginia Tech. "Content and Sections of Your Resume." Virginia Tech Division of Student Affairs. Nov. 12, 2013. http://www.career.vt.edu/resumeguide/ContentSections.html. Access date: February 8, 215.

Yeager, Michelle. "What's the Best Resume Format for You?" U.S. News and World Report. Sept. 14, 2015. http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/04/whats-the-best-resume-format-for-you. Access date: February 8, 2015.

By Liza Lugo, J.D.

Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.

Ms. Lugo retains exclusive copyright and publishing rights to all of her articles and photos by her located on Hub Pages. Portions of articles or entire content of any of these articles may not be used without the author's express written consent. Persons plagiarizing or using content without authorization may be subject to legal action.

Permission requests may be submitted to liza@lizalugojd.com.

* Disclaimer: "Samantha", "Pat" and "Jennifer" listed in this hub are fictional characters. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.