Do You Need a Video Resume?

When you’re looking for a job, you need to stand out from the competition.

Traditional paper resumes remain the number one way to present yourself to potential employers. However, the ease of recording and sharing a video opens up possibilities for using video resumes in your job search.

Whether a video resume is a good choice depends on your industry and your potential employer. If you are in a creative or public-facing field, a video resume might give you a leg up. If your goal is a career in a more staid work environment such as banking, you likely don’t need one.

But you do decide to create a video resume, it absolutely must be professional and well edited.

How to Create a Video Resume

Be relevant – If you are in a creative field then consider experimenting with by showcasing your work and personality with a video resume. But remember it is still about the work, and the video should reflect the skills and talents employers are seeking.

Keep it short – Treat the video resume as an elevator pitch and try to keep it below two minutes. It should be more of a personal trailer for the recruiting manager to whet his or her appetite and invite you for a normal full-length interview in person.

Be creative but professional – Spend some thought on how to give the most value in the short amount of time you have. Make sure to go over your experiences, why you make a good choice for the position, and similar things that the recruiting manager might want to hear so he or she will invite you for the full interview. Always be professional in the video because this is your chance to make a first impression and you want to make it the best one you can.

Expect it to be shared – Be prepared that what you send in might be shared with others. If you don’t feel comfortable with what you produced, then don’t send it–to anyone. You do not want to be an Internet sensation because of your video resume and serve as an example of what not to do.

Show examples of work with screen recordings – If you feel that the recruiter might benefit from seeing some examples of your work online, you can integrate those as video screen recordings by either recording a separate video of your screen as you talk through what’s on it or editing short examples into your video resume.