The job market is becoming more and more competing each year. It has become essential for freshly graduated students to find ways to stand out from the competition while applying for a job. Making a video resumé is one of the solutions.
Why stick to a standard resumé when you can catch the attention of the recruiters with a video presentation?
The Video Resumé: Pros And Cons
The video resumé is a powerful weapon to stand out from other candidates: while all of the applications are often were similar from one another, a video resumé will allow you to at least be noticed by the recruiters. However, just like any tool, the video resumé presents pros and cons.
The pros of a video resumé:
- The originality of the support: not only does the video resumé shows that you are able to think out of the box, but it also shows your determination and interest for the job offer. Making a video resumé is indeed more time consuming than making a regular one and requires more preparation.
- Showing your soft skills and personality: with the video resumé, it is easier to connect with the recruiters. The video format allows showcasing some skills like confidence when speaking or the ability to speak another language, and it also let the recruiters see a glance of your personality.
- Showing your hard skills: if you are looking for a job in the digital field, the video resumé is a must for your application. You can therefore directly prove your video editing or storytelling skills, which will increase your chances to be recruited for a job in digital marketing for example.
The cons of a video resumé:
- The video resumé has to be relevant: not every single job application are suitable for a video resumé, and making one while it doesn’t fit the job you are applying to can have a negative impact on your candidature. For example, a job in sales or in international trade which requires to be able to speak in public is more suitable for a video resumé than a job in finance.
- You have to be comfortable in front of a camera: if oral presentations are not your forté, you might want to avoid a video resumé, in order to not stand out of the wrong reasons…
- The risk of not being appreciated by the recruiter: while video resumés are more and more common, in some countries there are still viewed as new, and some recruiters might dislike this untraditional way of presenting your skills. It is therefore important to study the company you are applying to in order to evaluate if they will be receptive to a video resumé.
How To Make The Best Video Resumé In 7 Steps
Making a video resumé requires a lot of preparation. It is not about just putting yourself in front of the camera and hoping for the best, even if you are a good speaker. It is important to first choose the pieces of information you want to communicate, to then write down a script for your video.
Then, choose the location of your filming: try to opt for something sober, like a white wall, with no decorations. The same thing goes for your clothes, the more natural, the better! The video format is already original enough, you don’t need to be too creative with the decor and the clothes. Be sure you have good equipment, lighting and sound, read the script several times to have it in mind, and you are ready to record!
The 7 steps of the video resumé shooting
- First thing first, present yourself: your first and last name, your age, and the position you are applying to.
- Start with your formation: no need to get into many details, your last diploma with a quick explanation is enough.
- Then, talk about your experiences that are relevant to the job offer, and present your missions, the skills you learned, the results you got, etc.
- Try to talk with short sentences to show that you are rigorous and that you are able to structure your sentences. Careful, you also have to appear natural.
- Answer the questions the recruiters might have: how did you get your skills, what can you bring to the company, why do you want this position, etc.
- Take your time to perfect the video. Do not hesitate to do multiple takes, and even to play with the cuts during the filming. Each time you struggle with your words or you show hesitation, cut and do it again. The recruiters will pay extra attention to this kind of mistakes.
- Just like when you pitch a project or make an oral presentation, time your video. It shouldn’t be longer than 2 minutes.
When your video resumé is done, time for editing: the best option is to use Adobe Premiere Pro, but considering the fact that the editing must be very simple, any editing software can work. You can put some text to highlight keywords in your presentation, but make sure to use a relevant font and to make the text visible, otherwise, it will seem very amateurish.
Once your video resumé is done, you can send it via email with a regular resumé and a letter of motivation to the recruiters. The best option is to upload the video to a platform like YouTube to just send the link to the recruiters. You can also, of course, post your video on your social networks, especially on LinkedIn.
Interested in studying Digital Marketing in Paris? Check out EMLV’s various programmes.