Do video resumes work?
| By Jessica Miller-Merrell | Career, Job Search
Jim shares his favorite video resume of all time and interviews the person who produced and starred in it. Do video resumes work? Tune in to discover one that did.
I do not think that video resumes are the next generation of recruitment. Actually, if they do anything, they relinquish even more control from the candidate in successfully placing themselves in a position to get a job. You might ask why, let’s think about it:
1. Video resumes release even more information that may or may not represent you correctly. This gives the screener (normally not the hiring manager) just more reasons to screen you from the process without ever being seen by the hiring authority.
2. How well do you really present on camera. Not very many people are good actors, and even the best actors look and act nothing like when they are on screen. Why would you want a representation of yourself floating around that might not be flattering?
3. What to say? Resumes are direct, simple, easy to read and should move the hiring manager to want to call you and schedule an in person meeting. Why meet you when they have seen your video. Maybe they do not like what you have on in the video, maybe they think the content you covered does not address your needs, maybe your communication style on video is much different than in person. All reasons to screen you out of the process.
Bottom line nothing will ever be able to replace human interface and contact. Communication is more than 60% non-verbal and the best communicators act and re-act to their audience in a manner that makes everyone feel comfortable. Taping yourself in a general video and sending it out is as effective as sending your demo out and expecting a casting agent to call you. And we all know how many people want to be actors and never make it. Do you want to bet your career on those kind of odds?
Very interesting video, Jim! I agree that video resumes tend to be boring, however, I still think that they offer a great alternative to the average resume, especially for creative fields. If done the right way, they can help job seekers stand out from the crowd. Video resumes give job seekers the opportunity to express his/her creativity and also puts a face with the resume.
However, there a lot to consider before taking the video resume route. The video quality must be good, and the video itself should be concise, interesting (as your favorite example was) and professional.
With many organizations starting to recruit socially (and primarily online), video resumes just might be something job seekers find valuable in the coming years.