A resume speaks before a job candidate. To stand out amongst numerous other job applicants, you need an outstanding resume that tells a recruiter about your skill set or qualifications. You need a resume that can easily grab the recruiter’s attention, making them want to call you in for an interview.
Now, presenting your resume to recruiters matters a lot, especially in this age where remote work is gaining popularity. Hence, you would like to show your employer that you’re the best candidate by showing your technological skills, and this is where using a video resume gives you an advantage over every other candidate.
Video resumes are a great hack to getting hired because it gives the hiring manager a glimpse of your personality. This article will discuss what a video resume is, how to get one done as well as the advantages of using a video resume instead of a written resume.
Table of Contents
What is a Video Resume?
A video resume is a short introductory video of an applicant speaking to the camera about his mastery of skills, talents, qualifications, and experience in the job he is applying for.
You are expected to bring in your best by answering some basic interview questions in this short video. A video resume is used in the place of a traditional resume and cover letter.
How to Get Started
Video resumes are quite easy to make. As long as you can write it, you can create it too. Before you get started, try doing a mock-up while watching yourself with your standing mirror. You could also watch tutorial videos on YouTube.
But first, you need to start by getting to know your employers through their social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. This way, you get to know a little bit about their personality, how they do their jobs and what makes them humane. Search through any recent posts they’ve made to get an insight into their current values.
When you are done checking them out and practicing as many times as possible, create your resume and make sure you note everything you must have read about them. When you finish, you can send it to your friends to help evaluate and give you insight into how to make it better.
You have to get an excellent video resume like a real interview where the panel is seated. Articulate your thoughts properly with the right body language. Bring in your personality as much as you can. Convince your employers that you are the best fit for the job by taking the job role requirements into cognizance.
Be at ease throughout the recording process. If you feel like you didn’t get it right the first time, do it again until you’re convinced that you have a perfect result. Let yourself shine through it all!
Read also: How to Prepare for an Online Zoom Meeting or Interview.
How to Script a Video Resume
Video resumes are often divided into five important parts, namely:
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Introduction
Your name, the position being applied for, and your qualifications should be highlighted and discussed extensively. Show your recruiter what you are bringing to the table. Show them how beneficial you will be if considered for the role.
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Professional Achievements
Here, your professional accomplishments should be highly discussed. This can determine if you are the best fit for the job or not. Relate the position you are applying for with your professional achievements and explain to the recruiter why you can get the job done if hired.
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Give Reasons why you want to join the company.
Talk about why you think joining the company is the next step in your career progression. Here, you should be able to convince the hiring managers through adequate track records of your achievements at your previous company.
Highlight what you have done with statistical evidence and how you can multiply that achievement in this new company. Before doing this video, you must have carried out a background check on the company; this helps to know where the company needs improvement, and you can use this to your advantage when applying for the vacant role.
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Educational Qualifications
Here, relay your educational qualifications as it relates to the job role. Link your most relevant qualifications with the job. Again, you need to demonstrate how these qualifications matter to the role you’re applying for.
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Conclusion
Conclude by stating how you hope to get an interview with them as you have more to share with them. This will make them curious, seeing that you have done a good job with the video resume. Your ability to persuade the hiring manager is what will get you a chance at an interview and also get you your offer letter.
Read also: 6 Virtual Interview Tips to Ace your Next Interview.
What Makes a Great Video Resume?
Here are distinctive features of a great video resume that brings you good results:
- Make it short and simple.
- Make your video resume unique to you
- Be confident. Remember, you’re in control!
- Make sure the room where you are making the video is well lit up.
- Embrace the art of storytelling
- Wear your best professional outfit
- Practice your delivery. Make sure you don’t fall prey to redundancy. Itemize your points and stick to them.
- You can never go wrong with humor. This is a great skill for a video resume as it makes the hiring manager relaxed and want to know more about you.
Read also: Common questions in Nigerian Job interviews.
4 Reasons Why You Need a Video Resume
There are various reasons why you need a video resume. Below are 4 most important reasons why you need one:
1.Video Resume Grabs the Attention of Recruiters
Getting things done innovatively is always a plus, especially for job applications. Seeing how you express yourself with a video resume, an employer will always be eager to go through it and see what you are all about.
Research has shown that recruiters glance through the typically written resume in only six seconds. Having a video resume will grab the recruiter’s attention as they would like to know more, especially when this video is done in a logical and fun way.
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Video Resumes make you a Memorable Applicant
A video resume keeps you at the top of the mind of recruiters. As the recruitment process progresses, everyone involved would simply want to know you better, having watched your video resume. This improves your chances of getting hired faster than other candidates who used the normal resume standard to apply for the role.
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Video Resumes Communicate your Competence Better
Competence is the skill that a candidate possesses that allows them to do a job successfully. In a video resume, you get to demonstrate and tell how competent you are for the role you are applying for. This depicts you from every other candidate and gives the hiring manager a clue into how adequately you can handle skills such as time management, leadership, commitment, etc.
For instance, if you are applying for a job that requires analytical and logical skills when making your video resume, you can easily highlight these skills in a logical and precise manner that would convince the hiring manager that you’re the best fit for the job having seen how logically you’ve itemized your points in the video.
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Video Resumes can be used to Apply for Multiple Jobs
You can use video resumes to apply for multiple roles by highlighting and talking about your skills with the best zeal. Doing this saves you time and effort because you can easily show your core competencies, which is why you can use it for multiple applications.
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Advantages of using a video resume
- A video Resume Gives you a Competitive Advantage
Hiring managers will always prioritize a video resume over the traditional written ones. This is so because they would want to see the face of the person applying and would also like to know the personality of that applicant. So, if you want to capture a recruiter’s interest and place your application over and above that of other applicants, best believe that a video resume will do the magic!
Being able to grab the recruiter’s attention is the first step to getting shortlisted. A skillful video resume portraying your accomplishments will do the trick. Research has proven that 89% of recruiters and hiring managers are more likely to view a video resume what better way to show them what you’ve got.
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Makes you Stand Out
A well-done video makes you stand out. It’s been proven over time that recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds checking out a resume. Doing this has a higher chance of them overlooking the important part of your resume, but with a well-laid out video resume, you are sure to get a considerable amount of attention.
A video resume is more likely to be watched to the end. Hence, the recruiter will view all your talents and professional achievements. The only thing you need to consider is that you need to make an impression that stays even after they are done. Make the best use of this moment and shine!
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Brings out your Creativity
If you are applying to create roles that expect you to show some level of creativity, then your best bet is a video resume.
Video resumes will win you extra points for being imaginative and creative. This is because you can add visuals, colors, etc. This will give the recruiter a good impression of you, which you can hardly achieve with a written resume.
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Gives you a Certain Level of Control
Have you ever found yourself trembling when asked complicated questions during an interview? You’re not alone on this one, as we’ve all tasted that feeling before. For some of us, this constantly ruins our chances of getting our dream job, even when we are qualified for this role. We start stuttering and are under pressure to give the right answers during this time.
Here’s where a video resume comes in. It gives you considerable control and courage. You can make a lasting impression on the recruiters by answering the questions preemptively. This will give you an added advantage over other applicants.
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Shows you are Technically Savvy.
A video resume reveals that you are technologically advanced. A video resume makes it even better if you have a creative mastery of current trends.
Employers prioritize candidates who are technologically ahead of their pairs and are familiar with industry best practices. This will help put you above candidates who cannot express the same personality via the traditional written resume.
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Analyzes Your Confidence
A video resume helps you communicate your confidence more effectively than a written resume. It can easily put across your feelings and aspirations that you look forward to in a job.
With a video resume, you can interpret your feelings into your body language, which will prove to the employer that you are the right applicant for the job.
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Illustrates your Skills Better
With a video resume, you can easily pitch well before an employer. A video resume gives you the freedom to illustrate your technical skills in both verbal and non-verbal descriptions. Verbally, you can exemplify your client trading abilities for a sales job. In a non-verbal technique, you can show off your presentation skills via body language. This is effective if you are applying for the role of a presenter.
Conclusion
This article has highlighted and discussed extensively the benefits of having a video resume by itemizing various points why it is beneficial. It has also given insight into why you should make your next resume a video resume.
While a video resume is not required for every job role, it is important to note that it can help boost your chances of being called for an interview. It is important to evaluate your industry, role, and the organizations you’re seeking to submit your application to before producing one.
Remember to keep it professional. Make sure your outfit, lighting, and overall delivery are on point. Making sure the video resume is short and straightforward will eventually benefit your application.
Show your video to your second eyes like friends, colleagues, and family. Request for their genuine feedback and work with these feedbacks to make your video resume a unique and outstanding one that would generate leads.
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About Author
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Rabi Yahaya is a content writer whose works have been published by prominent websites in Nigeria.
Remotely works with local and international clients to create engaging content for brands. Creating compelling articles and stories that talk about issues concerning women. A budding SEO writer.
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