Video resumes are being used more and more in places like India and the UK, as a way to augment your written resume. I think they are coming to the US, slowly.
Here are 3 things I believe about video resumes:
1) They will be expected more and more, probably in place of initial phone interviews where recruiters/HR are trying to see if you are presentable and worth forwarding on. It will just be easier than scheduling a phone call or video conference.
2) Not every industry or position will warrant a video. In addition to creative people who can add a video resume to their reel, I anticipate receptivity to video resumes when a position requires customer interaction, client-facing work, presentations, training, public speaking, negotiating, marketing, global cooperation, and in-person communications. Senior-level people may need them more than a middle manager or entry-level person.
3) Video resumes are not resumes at all. Ideally, they are short (1 minutes or less) presentations of your Core Value Proposition. Really – keep it short! Create a script based on your Core Value Proposition – the thing you want to do, love doing, and can offer to an employer. And find a friend who knows something about video. Or hire someone who knows what they are doing.
This article by Eugene Lim gives an interesting perspective on adding a video resume to your job search tool kit. It gives two examples of videos. One is very short, which is great. Some elements of it work, but I think the guy is a little off-putting. The other one is just under 2 minutes and it’s too long in my opinion – mostly because it doesn’t really communicate the person’s skill and ability. The production value is terrific, though, and you do get to see her doing her work.
One question is how people can get good video of themselves.
Eugene Lim made this suggestion: I think a good video also has a lot to do with the camera quality and the environment that a candidate films in as well – you probably don’t want to take your video on a cell phone, but a point and shoot should suffice if a nicer camera isn’t available. The environment should be quiet, professional, and free of distractions as well, unless there is some specific reason it shouldn’t be.
Has anyone had experience with video resumes?
