Video Resume Tips: The 5 W’s

Job seekers place a huge importance on making themselves stand out, and it has never been more important to do so. Today’s intense job market paired with advanced technology has turned job hunting into quite the uphill battle. We’ve talked about getting creative with your resume before, but this time we’re taking it way outside the box.

Though a resume has always been a traditional document consisting of words on paper, the new fad is to create a video instead. This is still a relatively new trend and it has been incredibly successful for some candidates, and incredibly disastrous for others.

That’s why we are breaking down the Who, What, Where, When and Why of video resumes to help you figure out if this is the right choice for you.

Who

Not every job seeker should take the route of a video resume. You should only stray towards a creative style video resume if your industry and field is also creative. A video resume is also a great idea for those who work with video production in their career.

For business professionals, we recommend against video resumes. The skills and experience that a business professional needs to portray in their resume, is better communicated via text than it is visually. Also, hiring managers in non-creative industries are less likely to welcome a video resume for a prospective candidate.

What

A video resume should accompany your physical resume document – it should not stand alone. Therefore, a video resume cannot be a regurgitation of the information on your resume. You need to say (and show) something different.

Think of it like a portfolio of previous work. If you are using video to show your skills and experience, you should only do so if those skills and experience cannot be demonstrated on paper.

This is a great time for professionals such as broadcast journalists, cartoon animators, and video editing specialists to show their skills in a portfolio style video resume. In your resume, you can refer to your video resume as a visual demonstration of the skills and experience you will offer in your new role.

Where

Do not upload your video onto YouTube. Your resume should not be openly available to the public. If you choose to upload to YouTube, ensure that your URL is private and that only those who receive the URL can view the video.

We recommend using a more private website, such as Vimeo, where you can protect your video resume with a password.

Before uploading your video, take a look at samples and other videos available on the website to ensure that your video matches up to the quality that is already offered.

When

Allow your video resume to be secondary to your traditional resume.

Towards the end of your cover letter or e-note, include the URL for your video resume. This way the hiring manager has already read through your skills and experience, and if they are interested in viewing a video resume, they will do so.

Many hiring managers may shortlist you without viewing the video resume – especially if they prefer traditional job applications.

Other hiring managers, who prefer a more creative application, will immediately click the URL to view the video resume. This added touch is what may land you on the shortlist.

Why

We recommend opting to create a video resume if your job search has not been successful thus far. If you are already gaining traction through your traditional resume and receiving interviews, then you don’t need to change your job search strategy just yet.

If you are in a creative field and find that you are constantly being overlooked for each role you apply for, then it is time to determine a new strategy for your job search.

If you are in a field where you can showcase your skills effectively through a video, then this could be a great option for you. However, you should also look into strengthening your traditional resume, because that document will need to catch the hiring manager’s attention before the video resume can wow them.