By Valerie S. Johnson
It used to be that all you needed to conduct your job search was a nice printed resume. Then word processing capabilities made it possible to produce it yourself. Government employers and some recruiters for large companies got tired of reading piles of paper, so they implemented online applications. Job seekers are forced to input their personal information in the boxes in the prescribed order, sometimes with extra space to add the text of a cover letter and more traditional curriculum vitae.
Of course, the next step had to be video. To stand out from the crowd of paper or electronic applications, you now have the option to create your own personal commercial starring you as The Ideal Employee.
Your ad can be posted on YouTube or on one of the new recruiting websites specifically intended for hosting video resumes. On these sites, there is no charge for the job hunter; instead potential employers pay a fee to access the archives. Two such sites,
WorkBlast and
ResumeBook.tv, did not disclose the amount of this fee but referred to it as “affordable” and “inexpensive” respectively.
The WorkBlast.com website includes some examples of brief video profiles. Most of these consist of a young, attractive, well-groomed, articulate person talking directly to the camera and reciting their background and experience and explaining why they’d be a rock star employee (yes, one applicant used those exact words).
Video recruitment techniques are still relatively new and untested. It remains to be seen whether a video resume will get you on the “interview,” “maybe” or “no” list.
Video Resumes
