Video Resumes: How to Make It Count

• First Things First:
  Is a video resume appropriate to the position and industry for which you are applying? If the answer is no, creating a video resume will do more harm than good. If you submit a video resume to a company using an Applicant Tracking System, your resume will never be seen by human eyes.
• It’s a Resume, Not a Script:
  You’re using the video resume platform to differentiate yourself, but in many cases a paper copy is still necessary during the hiring process. DO NOT read your resume off in front of a camera. Seriously, don’t do it. Not only will it sound canned and unprofessional, it also defeats the purpose of creating a video resume in the first place. Describe yourself in a way that summarizes your paper resume, and gives employers a glimpse of who you are beyond the piece of paper. Highlight the most important skills and accomplishments that leave employers wanting more.
• Length Matters:
  Length is an important thing. Don’t drone on about yourself, delineating every detail already listed on your paper resume and more. You want to give employers a taste of what you can do, just enough to want to bring you in for an interview. That’s where you spill all the juicy details, not in the video resume
• What Would Your Mother Think?:
  Now, you’ve created what you think is a fun, interesting, and informative video resume. If you have any doubts whatsoever as to whether the content is appropriate or worthy of an employer’s time, test it. If you shared your video resume with your social networks would you be embarrassed? What about it would you have to change in order to feel comfortable sharing it? Make those changes. If it isn’t good enough for your friends, it certainly isn’t good enough to show a potential employer.