In our fast moving word, in times when unemployment rates are pretty high, a simple resume and cover letter are often not enough to get a job. One of the techniques that have been gaining in popularity recently is a video resume. You can find plenty of them on YouTube, there are also many specialist sites that feature such videos and can guide you through the process of making one, like VideoResume.com or ResumeTube.com. However, not every video will guarantee success and, unfortunately, there is no recipe that works for everybody.
Look to leave a positive impression.
“Greetings from my bathroom”
One of the most positive examples of successful video presentation is the clip prepared by Eric Romer. He heard about a social media marketing manager vacancy at HeadBlade (a company selling head shaving razors) via Twitter and decided to act in an unusual way. Within 24 hours he set up @HireMeHeadblade Twitter account and a blog where he included a video of himself shaving his head and talking about his interest in the brand. It was the clip that persuaded the company’s CEO to contact Romer. He was invited for interview and got the job!
Make sure there are videos like this of you on the web.
Complete failure
3 years earlier a Yale University student, Aleksey Vayner, created a video resume to apply for a job at a financial company. It was a classic example of a good turned complete failure. The clip spread very quickly on the Internet and got wide media coverage. Unfortunately for Vayner, the response was very unfavorable and he has to bear the negative consequences till today. Aleksey was so boastful in his video that it looked rather funny and his numerous achievements aroused suspicion. It quickly turned out, that most of what he claimed to accomplish was not true. I guess it goes without saying that he didn’t get the job…
Key to success
Although a video resume can help you to find a perfect job, it may also happen to be wasted effort, or worse, the video may turn out to be detrimental to your career. First of all, you have to remember that video resumes cannot replace the written version (at least in most cases). The clip should be an attractive addition – not a mere presentation of your educational background and work experience. Use it to emphasize your strong points, to show how you may differ from other candidates or to explain why you are a perfect candidate for a certain post. That is what Eric Romer did – he presented himself informally, showed that he is a strong supporter of the brand and proved that he can skillfully use social media, an indispensable feature, when you apply for a position of interactive/social media marketing manager. And that is why he succeeded so quickly – because his video was well thought-out and successfully communicated to his prospective employer. One last piece of advice – don’t pretend to be a rockstar, be yourself!
Written by the team of PennySaverUSA.com. Visit us online to find available jobs in the USA.
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