Seven Video Resume Tips for Job Seekers

A few years ago, the idea of posting a video highlighting your professional and academic achievements online was regarded as a novelty. Some job seekers tried it, but they risked public scorn.

Aleksey Vayner was perhaps the best-known poster child for video resumes gone wild. Created in 2007, Vayner’s seven-minute self-promotion for a job at an investment bank featured the Yale student displaying his nimble ballroom footwork and his ability to slice seven bricks with a single karate chop. The video was leaked to YouTube and quickly became an unintentional Internet comedy sensation.

Now, many hiring professionals consider the video resume to be a plausible recruiting tool. A search on YouTube for “video resume” produces nearly 13,000 results. Some are slick and well produced; most are clearly homemade efforts with low production value. Job seekers serious about gaining the full advantages of video resumes may want to consider using a professional service such as videoBIO. videoBIO develops short, Web-based video biographies that use a script, are shot in a studio and are professionally edited.

Not all recruiters are used to receiving video resumes, but eventually the video resume will be a standard Catherine Fennell, CEO of videoBIO, said. “It is just a matter of how long it takes.” TheLadders offers the following tips for job seekers looking to add a video component to their job search.

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