A video CV gives you the opportunity to show a bit of personality and allows employers to see the person behind the CV, so make sure you come across confident and approachable. VCVs are particularly good for applying for jobs within the digital/media sector or sales/marketing, as you can demonstrate your great communication skills or prove that you are in touch with the latest tech tools.
Creating a Successful Video Resume
Keep it brief:
Try not to ramble. Know what you want to communicate and get to the point, rather than dancing around the topic. The ideal length of a video CV is around 1-2 minutes; any longer and it is likely that your viewer could get bored and switch off.
Know your audience:
The information in your video CV should be relevant to your target audience. What you want to achieve from your CV is to sell your skills and experience and convince your audience that you are someone that they want to hire.
Figure out what they want to see and give them it. This may vary between industries and specific companies, dependent on the culture and nature of the sector, so make sure you take this into consideration when deciding what kind of tone to adopt and what you would like to share about yourself.
Dress appropriately:
It’s important to present yourself smartly on camera, as this way your prospective employers will be able to visualize you within the workplace. Treat it as an interview and dress how you think would be appropriate, based on industry and company culture. It’s better to over-dress than to look sloppy.
Talk clearly:
When addressing the camera, make sure that you talk slowly, loudly and clearly so the viewer can understand everything that you are saying and make sure that you record it in a quiet room where there isn’t any background noise that could distract from your message.
It’s also worth investing in a good camera and microphone to create your video CV, so you can create it to the best possible quality.
What can a video resume do for you?
Video resumes are quickly replacing traditional resumes, especially in specific fields. Before long, video resumes may be commonplace in all careers. But what advantage do video resumes provide over a traditional paper resume?
Posting a video resume online allows job seekers to showcase who they are to potential employers. They help level the playing field. With a video resume, it matters less what school a job seeker attended, or the number of years she spent at her previous position, and more how the job seeker presents herself. Video resumes help employers to better grasp fundamental elements of a job seeker’s personality – including communication skills, enthusiasm for the position, creativity, and other factors.
By helping job seekers to showcase who they are in a different way, video resumes help employers make hiring decisions based on what candidates can bring to the position rather than their past experiences.
How can you show off your writing skills in a video resume?
Critics of the video resume feel that it inhibits a job seeker’s ability to demonstrate his/her writing skills. Writing skills have long been an indicator of a person’s professionalism, accuracy, and attention to detail. In order to showcase these skills in a video resume, job seekers must get creative.
Ensure proper grammar in your video resume before recording:
Write an outline. Before you begin recording your video resume, think carefully about a few main points that you’d like to cover. Write these down, and practice explaining them concisely. Like a written resume, a video resume must be simple and pointed, highlighting your accomplishments and experiences so that employers will yearn to invite you in for an in-person interview to learn more.
Supplement the video resume with a traditional resume. Provide employers with a link to your video resume (a private video on your personal YouTube channel works well), and attach a traditional written resume as reinforcement.
Short is much better than long. Employer attention spans are typically brief, so keep the video between one and two minutes.
Customize the video for the job. Talk about who you are, and the job for which you are applying. Make sure to highlight the experiences in your past that will help you to succeed at the open position.
Talk about what makes you stand out. Why are you different from other applicants for the open position, and how does your unique skill set make this position a fit? Make sure you are emphasizing this in your video.
Get personal. The benefit to video is that it allows your personality to shine through. Make sure that you keep your energy high, make eye contact with the camera, dress professionally, and remove clutter from the background so that potential employers can focus on you!
Remember that practice makes perfect, so keep at it until your video resume is just the way you want it. The beauty of video resumes lies in the ability to edit the content until it is perfect—similar to the written resume. Make sure you that you do this to deliver a polished, customized, and professional resume at each application.