The Pros And Cons Of Video Resumes

The movie Legally Blonde showed a young woman wowing Harvard Law School with a video resume outlining her unique and interesting talents

. While video resumes are still not the norm, many wonder if the best way to differentiate themselves from others is to use video instead of the traditional paper resume. While an effective video resume can help a person seeking a job or slot at a prestigious college, there are definite pros and cons.

Job seekers are accustomed to making themselves look good on paper but it is harder to make yourself look good on video. Paper resumes make your case before you walk into the interview. It is easier for a recruiter or interviewer to forgive any fidgeting in person because your paper resume has already told them that you have the skills for the job. If the interviewer has to sit through a video with several minutes of rambling dialogue, accompanied by nervous tics, and the sound of traffic or air conditioning in the background to be able to hear your skill set, you may not get to make your case before you lose the interviewer's interest. Since video resumes are still new, there is no real standard set yet as to how these resumes should appear and how information should be presented. It can be easy for applicants to go wrong.

Additionally, video resumes pose a risk to companies that paper resumes do not, legal risks that have caused some companies to discard all resumes that are accompanied by videos. When some companies these days black out names on resumes to avoid potential race or gender bias among those who review resumes, video resumes open employers up to potential claims of race, gender and age discriminationeven how the applicant looksideo resumes, in some instances, can clearly cause more problems for the applicant than they solve. Additionally, if companies are reluctant on a legal basis to view the video resumes sent to them for specific job openings, such companies do not go to online video hosting sites to view video resumes in the hopes of somehow finding the perfect person for their job. They are even less likely to search online when it means sifting for job candidates amongst films of people's pets and music videos.

However, technology has changed much of how people search for and get jobs, and as online video becomes more and more ubiquitous, some companies are changing the way they handle video resumes. Job listing sites have combined forces with social networking sites, and online resumes in such venues are often combined with video resumes. Sites that specialize exclusively in hosting online and video rsums make it far more palatable for employers and recruiters to search for resumes.

Some companies have popped up to help interviewers and job seekers make the most of this new technology. These companies help applicants put together a professional, edited video. Some have contacts with specialized areas of the job field - engineering firms, non-profits, etc. - and can send your video resume to companies interested in such resumes. Many employers are opening up to video resumes because in some cases they serve as the "first round" of interviews, saving the company money and time.

Properly used, video resumes can be an excellent format to showcase job experience as well as polished communications skills. There is still a novel aspect to video resumes so making still shows a willingness to embrace new technology and think outside the box. As long as applicants understand a company's resume submission policies, as well as ensure that their video is professional and in a venue a potential employer may frequent, it increases the chances this new form of resume can help and not hinder their chances of finding employment.

by: Erin Kennedy

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