Video Resumes

Job applicants know that the first step to getting hired is crafting the best resume for the position. Resumes are the first thing recruiters see. If they don’t pay attention to your resume, you don’t have a chance of getting in.

Resumes are truly important, and while crafting a professional-looking resume might be the way to get that dream job, you should know that it is really up to you, the position you are applying for, and the company you wish to work in. Sometimes, these long and formal-looking resumes end up at the bottom of the pile, while the more creative ones get noticed. The secret to this is to be relevant to the company you are applying for.

The are some companies that charge job seekers through the roof to create a spectacular show with all kinds of bells and whistles with not focusing on the position applying to. In other words being to general. This can also happen whilst creating a a YouTube video resume, it can be too one dimensional and long winded.
There is a company out there that does it differently. FaceCruit  Job seeker.
How they do it differently is you create a job profile. Then you create content about what you want to talk about in reference to the position vacant.
Lets use an example of a profile called Hospitality and some content you may use to discuss your positive attributes and experiences.
  • Why I believe I have experience in Managing your Franchise.
  • My examples of how to deal with staff and customers.
  • Why I received the Employee of the year at Starbucks.

The job seeker is able to practice each content/statement as many times as they want. Once they are happy it goes to a published file. Here is the great difference. Once all content is published it is linked to one unique URL to that profile. As an extra benefit the job seeker can also create questions to a referee who would receive an email to be invited to record a video giving their answers. For example How long did Sam work for you? Explain how Sam handled difficult customers? etc etc. Once it is completed the job seeker receives an email and can also publish this under the same one URL of hospitality.

Once the job seeker has completed their “showcase” of direct self marketing they can attach the URL to their resume. This will not disadvantage the job seeker as the employer will still receive their resume. Similar to how you add your LinkedIn URL

Once the employer clicks on the URL they can choose watch content to watch as they see the content/statements the job seeker had created. Therefore clicking on the appropriate content/answers to the JD. The employer can also see and hear job referees.

Pros:

  • Unique – Video resumes are very unique. Once a recruiter sees a video in their pile of resumes, their curiosity will definitely be piqued, and they will want to take a look at it. As you know, getting their attention is the first step. With a video resume, you’ve definitely achieved that objective.
  • Visible – Your personality, skills and talents are evident immediately. Video resumes either feature you, speaking confidently into the camera, or a compilation of all your previous works. Whatever your execution, your character and skills are evident right from the start. If you are applying for a creative position, and you hand in a video resume showing all your creative projects, it is very easy for your recruiter to see this, and immediately appreciate what you can offer to the company.
  • Control – It’s like your initial interview, but with more control. Really, a video resume is just you answering all their key questions. Of course, since it is a controlled environment, you can appear unruffled and confident, and you will come off as highly competent for the job.

It may take a while for companies to embrace video resumes, however with social media being accessed more and more by employers to do their reconnaissance of candidates, it is only inevitable that video technology will be a key part in moving forward.