Using video to get hired

VisualCV

In this new age of cheap (free) streaming video, it's only natural that some will publish their resume as a video too. This can be good, if done well. However, video resumes are usually not done well. In fact a quick scan of video resumes on YouTube shows just how bad they can be.

The result is a lack of results.

While a video can enhance a resume, it is rarely what a recruiter wants to see when scanning through a pile of candidates as their first view; even if that pile is online. Instead a recruiter wants to see a clearly formatted document to find a probable candidate and then will look further at supporting information. Having a video connected to the resume at this point can be a fantastic way to tell that recruiter "I'm the person you're looking for."

Where a well formatted resume can be scanned quickly, a video resume must be watched from beginning to end or the viewer must jump around. Usually the video is simply passed over. Because of this, a video should be considered an enhancement to, not a replacement of, a resume.

What is the best way to integrate the two? Fortunately, this is the Information Age and there are tools on the Internet to help with such integration. VisualCV is one such service, providing free tools for making a resume that is both attractive and media rich. In addition to video, documents, charts and graphics can be attached to a VisualCV resume.

A bad resume is still bad, even with cute graphics attached to it. The folks at VisualCV.com apparently recognize that and had a 20 year veteran of the career management industry write a comprehensive guide on writing a resume that gets noticed. The Insider's Guide to the VisualCV contains information for job seekers from any industry and includes a section dedicated to job seeking for new graduates.

The third section of the Insider's Guide to the VisualCV includes information on video resumes as well as ideas on other media that can be used effectively when associated with a media rich resume as is possible with VisualCV.

http://www.visualcv.com/www/learning_center/insiders_guide/build_portfolio.html

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