One of the best ways to grab the attention of a potential employer and stand out from the crowd of other applicants is to send them a video resume. The video will complement a text resume, help you bypass other applicants, and hopefully land a job offer for you. In this post, we will share with you some useful tips on how to create a winning resume, what information to cover in the script, and how to produce a quality video clip.
What Does It Take to Create a Winning Video Resume?
For all the simplicity of the format, few people manage to make a good video. How to produce a video so that it becomes your calling card but not a career failure? We’ve collected the best tips from bloggers, editors, and recruiting agencies on how to make a video resume that does impress the watcher and brings you nothing but “yes” from your “target” employer. Follow the recommendations below, and you will be doomed to success.
Tip 1 – Avoid Long Speeches
The length of the video should ideally not exceed a couple of minutes. Five minutes is enough to introduce yourself, highlight your achievements, and share your goals without making anyone bored.
Tip 2 – Structure the Information
Make sure that your resume consists of an introduction, a body, and a logical conclusion. Start with a greeting and introduce yourself. Announce the vacancy you are applying for. Tell an employer why you are the best fit for the company and share your contact details at the end of the video.
Tip 3 – Grab Attention
Studies show that many human resource managers turn off a resume video within 15 to 30 seconds from the start of viewing if it is monotonous and boring. Therefore, your mission is to catch the focus of a viewer and make them watch further.
Tip 4 – Focus on the Essentials
Remember that you are filming not a full-length documentary about yourself but a short and informative clip. So your advantages as a candidate for a specific position should be voiced.
Tip 5 – Search for Inspiration
Look for video resume examples from other applicants on the Internet. Pay attention to the video structure, the way applicants behave in front of the camera, and what they say. Take notes and write a script highlighting your professional strengths and achievements.
Make It Look Professional
Recording your resume video on a webcam in your bedroom may save you money, but it is unlikely that such a video will impress an employer. This may sound obvious, but your video resume should be professionally made. The recruiter should see and hear you well. Make sure that the background on the video is minimalistic and clean. The video and sound quality should be good, with no distracting sounds drowning out your voice. It is also recommended to wear casual business attire.
Fortunately, you can make quality videos with modern smartphones without spending an arm and a leg on a cameraman or film editor. So if you try, you can easily make a video that looks professional without spending a bomb.
A video resume with a well-thought-out script and quality image can grab the employer’s attention and help you surpass other candidates. When working on your video, be sure to show it to colleagues or friends and ask for their opinion. Feedback from other people can help you polish the final version of your video introduction and avoid mistakes.
Free Tools for Creating and Editing Video Resume
There is no need to rent a studio and purchase expensive equipment to shoot a good video resume. You can shoot a video on a webcam or smartphone and then edit it completely free of charge using specialized applications and services:
- In the ManyCam program, you can record a video from a webcam, edit it, and broadcast it to Skype, YouTube, or upload your digital resume to a page on social networks. The app offers many filters, frames, features to add text to a video clip.
- Movavi Video Suite is an all-in-one video maker. It combines all the essential features of the best video-making software and adds several unique and exclusive features – from screen recording to video editing and converting. Make your videos rock with special effects, animation, and ready-made intros. Movavi Video Suite is the best video editing software for beginners; you do not need to be tech-savvy to use the tool.
- Shotcut is an open-source video editor that supports almost all video formats. The program can record video from a screen or webcam, allows for adding audio filters and video effects. Shotcut offers many standard video editing features, and after you spend a little time figuring it out, it’s not that hard to use. The tool is free, so you have nothing to lose by kicking the tires.
- Avidemux is a free editor for those working on Windows, Linux, or macOS. In the program, you can cut, merge videos, slow down and apply simple filters. Avidemux is equipped with task automation features that help users work on their video editing and processing tasks painlessly. The app uses custom scripts that enable users to easily store and apply target configurations they want as they edit their videos.
Instead of sending a video draft to your potential employer, use the video editor software solutions above to perfect your resume.
Landing Your Dream Job Offer Can Be Easy
A video resume is an additional tool for job search. Of course, it does not guarantee that you will land the job right away. But a well-made video will definitely set you apart from other job seekers and complement your standard resume. A textual CV will help an employer assess your professional experience, while it will reveal you as a person in just a couple of minutes. Demonstrate your communication skills, stress resistance, and creativity – create a resume in video form that hits like a ton of bricks.
