Why and how you should make a Video Resume

Posted by Chris Thomson

​First things first – a video resume is not a replacement for a well put together print resume, but adding a video resume to the package is sure to make plenty of potential employers think about how to get you on their team ASAP. But if you're going to submit a video resume, you've got to do it right.

Here’s a couple of tips when it comes to creating the best video resume:

1. Keep Production Values High
Look anywhere online these days - video standards are set pretty high, so a badly made video will stand out like a sore thumb. Factors such as stable footage, lighting, editing and composition could either make or break a video, even if the content is top notch. But what is most important is audio. What you say in the video is ultimately what will get you the job, but if you can’t hear it properly, if the music is too loud or it just sounds terrible, you’d might as well hold up posters of what you’re saying instead. The video will grab their attention, and if it’s good they’ll keep watching. If they can’t hear it properly, though, you lose. You need to use a professional microphone, not the microphones that are built into a smartphone or camcorder.
 
2. Keep it Short
The video resume will never be a replacement for a print resume, but it has the capabilities to show some intangibles your paper resume can’t. These aspects include confidence, professionalism, and presentation skills. Let’s say you are going to be dealing with big time business transactions; the hiring manager doesn’t want to see someone who looks insecure and nervous, they want to see confidence from start to finish as well as pride and enthusiasm. Your main goal is to show this in under 90 seconds and make them want to read your paper resume in depth. You can’t expect them to watch a five minute video of you reading out your career hopes and dreams and what you’ve done in the past 10 years of multiple jobs, you need to show them you’re best qualities and prove to them you are the one for the job.
 
3. Keep it personal but professional
Believe it or not, they will probably get hundreds (if not thousands) of applications with many perfect for the job, but don’t just send out the same one to every application you do, it’ll look generic and lazy. If you really want a specific job, you’ll create this video specifically for that job. Drop company names, CEO names, do your research and impress them with the motivation and commitment you have to a project that could ultimately land you the job.
 
Be creative, be adventurous, and most of all, impress! Check out the video below to see a video resume of sorts that we produced for film composer Ric Mills in the style of a blockbuster film trailer - it's flashy, attention grabbing and targeted, and most of all - great quality!