Video resumes are slowly but surely becoming popular. I do not believe that they are a replacement of the traditional resume however they add that extra edge! As I have received a handful of applications via this method I found myself searching ‘video resume’ on YouTube to see what else is out there and if candidates are broadcasting this technique. Gautam Banerjee’s video resume caught my attention.
I liked it for the following reasons:
- It was simple but effective in terms of his message plus I got a snapshot of the person
- He showed examples of his ability to adapt to new environments and cultures
- He has worn ‘many hats’ particularly within a start-up setting
- Passion for technology and media
- His interests and creativity with music and media
I decided to get in touch with Gautam via email and ask his permission to showcase his video resume on my blog. He very kindly said yes plus I asked a few questions regarding his reasoning behind the video resume. Gautam is a Product Development Manager based in Los Angeles.
Why did you decide to present a video resume?
Well I was thinking about ways to get noticed. I saw that places like vault.com, and some other niche job sites were promoting video resumes as this ‘new’ idea therefore I took a what was out there, some video resumes where of poor quality although the candidate was very strong, but they were not taking advantage of the medium. The idea to do something different really motivated me to stand out among the crowd. I thought ‘let’s utilize this video medium properly and see what happens’.
How did you go about creating your video resume?
I did not do it alone. It was a two man operation, and I enlisted the help of my good friend Jamel Gay, who was a film maker. It took 8 hours. We shot in 3 locations. Jamal assisted with the editing. We did have to do quite a number of takes as I was nervous at the start. We rented a video camera, some professional grade lighting and shot in a natural photographers studio. In total it cost $300.
What was the most important aspect of you that you wanted to project through the video resume?
I never thought of my video resume as a replacement of my paper resume, it was a compliment to it. I thought I could talk about my deeper interest in technology without telling the viewer where I’ve worked. I wanted to get across that I do love working with technology and being creative.
Did you email this video resume to employers, how did you get it out there?
I submitted it to vault.com, which was running a monthly video resume contest and I won. This gave me maximum exposure in the site via their newsletter, as well as top billing on their website. The initial exposure was tremendous and other media outlets picked up on it. I got interviewed for MSNBC.com, INC Magazine and CIO.com. The way I’ve used my video resume is as a hyperlink in my paper resume and/or cover letters and emails I send when applying to a position.
How many interviews did you get?
From the exposure at vault.com I received a job offer sans interview! Otherwise I would not say it generated a huge amount of interviews straight away. I was contacted by 5 Hr representatives from different companies asking if I wished to apply to their companies for a role. I had positive feedback from prospective employers.
How long did it take you to get hired? Do you think the video resume helped?
I was in employment when I made the video, but was looking to get into more digital and social media related work. I ended up getting a teaching assistant position at UCLA Extension for digital media related courses, which was wonderful! My video resume was directly responsible for that, as the instructor was very impressed with it. This happened 3 months after producing the video resume.
What advice would you give to graduates who are thinking about producing a video resume?
Practice what you are going to say, and practice speaking in front of a camera. Rehearse with other people so they can give you feedback. Keep it short-do not go over 2.5 minutes. Remember paper resumes are screened in less than a minute so a long video is likely to be overkill. Think of a video resume as a compliment to your CV. Talk about your career highlights. Try to make it visually appealing-and that means proper lighting and good video and audio quality.
Do you think a personal job hunting strategy is about ‘thinking outside the box’ in today’s economy?
Definitely! In this economy it’s especially challenging to get noticed and it’s more competitive than ever. When people ask me for job hunting advice I tell them to go above and beyond the norm. BE THE BEST! No excuses. This will help you get noticed by your peers and future employers. Think of yourself as a start-up. In order to succeed you must differentiate.
Gautam achieved his objective and is now a teaching assistant in UCLA. He works full time in the same company and his LinkedIn profile can be viewed here. It is clear that he put time and effort into the production of the video resume plus it did have a cost to creating it. I admire his objective to ‘think outside the box’. He is tech and media savvy which I am sure was an advantage however I believe it was worth it.
What are your thoughts on video resume? Would you like to have this additional profile of yourself to compliment a traditional CV?
Tags: Employment, Resumes and Portfolios, Video CV, video resume
Excellent piece! No doubt that within the next 18-24 months, the traditional resume will take a backseat. Job seekers are becoming more savvy and utilizing video technology, which gets them noticed. Critical to this process is making it professional and consistent – no cheese factor. Check out TalentRooster.com – we got it down to a science and have more professional digital videos on our site than anyone else. Our candidates increase their chance for hire by 30-50% – it just works. Enjoy your day.
More and more, people are accepting that they have become a product or even a business which needs to be marketed successfully.
This “elevator” pitch video is really strong for the reasons outlined.
I do see videos and eportfolios and social networking becoming more and more important than the 2 page CV submission.
I recently created a video resume and upload it on mycareeri.com and had great success. The service I personally used was After uploading my video resume, I started receiving several calls a week from employers who had seen my resume and were interested in my qualifications. I highly recommend everyone searching for a new job create a video resume. They really work.