Video Resume

A video resume is a video in which a job seeker can convey his/her career objective, qualifications, experience, and educational background through job search activities. With new technology and popular websites specifically for the sharing of streaming media (such as YouTube or MySpace), the experimentation of video resumes is on the rise.

It is similar to an interview; just without the confrontation. You can edit as much as you want until it is perfected to your liking. It allows your creativity to show through while revealing your personality. It makes an impression and stands out from the crowd. A video resume can serve as a counteraction to the competition of several other sheets of paper.

Keep in mind that with a video resume, employers can discriminate on things such as your race, religion, and/or any disabilities that shouldn’t have any effect on determining whether to allow an interview or not. Be prepared for it to become a possible target of mass ridicule in the case it is made public.

This can be a strongly effective tool depending on what field of work and particular position you’re interested in. (Such as in entry level jobs and creative fields.) With that in mind, if applying for a traditional field such as finance or law, it might be better to stick with paper resumes, since personality isn’t necessarily the determining factor.

A suggestion would be to use a video resume alongside a paper resume, rather than as a replacement. An average video resume should be limited to a length of two to three minutes. Be very careful; you want to be remembered for the right reasons when looking for employment opportunities!