Needle, Meet Haystack

The other day, I was reading an article discussing the pros and cons of making a video resume.  Although it covered the basics well enough, there are a few things that it did not cover (and some that it did) that you should know about.  A video resume, if used correctly, can be a powerful tool in the job applicant’s arsenal.  But if made without proper awareness or preparation, can lead to disaster.

1. You will be judged on quality.  Unlike a standard online application (or even a paper resume), simply having a video resume is not necessarily a good thing.  You will have to make sure the picture, sound and overall quality are high, as well as finding unique and interesting ways of presenting yourself.  A bad video resume can hurt you more than help you.
2. You probably shouldn’t email it.  Many employers will scan through the bodies of emails, but due to a fear of viruses or other digital nasties, might not open attachments.  And given the size of a video file, it might take too long on both ends to send and receive the file.
3. It can’t go up online.  Most online applications do not have an option for you to upload a large file, such as a video resume (if you are permitted to upload anything at all).  And despite the allure of doing so, it’s not a good idea to put your video resume up on YouTube or other video hosting sites.
4. They might not want to watch it.  Whereas a resume can be scanned into a program to search for key words and phrases, a video resume must be watched.  And since they are usually at least several minutes long, an employer may not have the time or inclination to sit through the video.
5. They might not be able to legally watch it.  Many companies are equal opportunity employers, meaning that they do not employ people with a bias towards race, gender, age and so on.  By showing yourself in your video resume, you will be showing them what you look like, which could open the door to legal problems for the company.
6. It’s not always worth what you put into it.  Unless you’re sending in the video resume because it actually pertains to the job you’re applying for (video production or TV commercial development, for example), having a video resume might not make that much of a difference in employers’ decision-making processes.  And given the time it would take to plan, shoot and edit the video, you might be getting a lot less back from all of your efforts.
7. It might cost more than you care to spend.  The monetary costs for the camera, editing software and storage (like CD-Rs, DVDs and flash drives) might be more than you can afford.
8. You might get the opposite response from what you had hoped.  See exhibit A.

But then again, you could have a masterpiece like this.  So if you plan to make a video resume, plan carefully!