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Using a Video Resume To Help Create the YOU Brand

Before we get into the meat of this article, it’s important for you to consciously understand and always remember what a resume is, and what the purpose of a resume is. People often confuse or combine the two. A resume is simply a marketing piece, just like a business card, brochure, flyer, or whatever. The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview.

With that firmly in mind, let’s proceed.

Marketers and advertisers have known for decades that video is far more efficient than just graphics and text when it comes to creating a compelling image for a product or service.

Consider this…

If you compare a movie to a book, it takes far longer to get a complete mental image of everything that’s going on from a book than it does from a movie – unless you’re some kind of speed-reader. And, even if you are a speed reader, the words in a book can only conjure up what you imagine to be the scene, right?

But with a movie, every viewer is seeing and hearing exactly the same thing – what the creator of the movie wants them to see.

Now let’s apply that same logic to your resume, and how you can use it to help create the YOU  brand.

The most important thing is to produce a quality video. I would liken that to using the proper format for a written resume and printing it on good quality paper. But producing a quality video doesn’t mean it has to be done professionally. By applying the following advice, you can produce a video resume that will stand head and shoulders above any written resume, and outshine most video resumes a prospective employer might see.

  • Keep your video resume short. One to three minutes is plenty. I know that may not seem like enough time to cover everything you may want to cover, but, trust me, it is.

  • Dress in professional business attire. Because it’s visual, you should dress as though you were going to an in-person interview.

  • Make sure there is good lighting. If you wear glasses, make sure there is no light-source positioned in such a way that it reflects off your lenses. This includes the computer screen.

  • Look at the camera as though it’s a prospective employer you’re speaking to. Think of the camera lens as their eyes and obey traditional rules of eye contact. You might even consider printing a life-size photo of someone you feel very comfortable speaking with and taping it to the camera. Place a hole in the photo where the eyes are and position the camera there.

  • Shoot the video in a quiet place to avoid distracting background noise, and make sure the wall behind you isn’t too “busy”.

  • Commit what you’re going to say to memory, and rehearse it. If you wish, create a cue card with bullet points to prompt you. But avoid at all cost reading your script verbatim.

  • Start by mentioning your first and last name. Then share your experience. Focus on your professional accomplishments, not your personal ones. Explain why you would be a good employee and what you can do for the company that hires you. Then thank the person you’re speaking to for considering you for employment.

  • By creating an informative video resume that is carefully produced, you’re not only sharing information about your experience and qualifications for employment, you’re demonstrating the ability to communicate effectively – a universally desirable skill.

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