Shake Off The Turkey Coma and Land a Job With Video Technology!!

Now that your turkey induced coma has subsided, it's time to get back to your job search! The year is quickly coming to an end and you need to have your new career set for 2012!

So what are you going to do differently that will get you that critical interview? It's not going to happen by submitting your Word document and cover letter - you should know that by now... Unemployment is still hovering at near record levels so you are going to have to think outside the traditional box.

People don't rely on paper anymore - in 2011, 43% of all first interviews were done via webcam. It's time for you to accept this reality and develop a strategy that works for your career goals. If you are unfamiliar with social media and video interview technology, spend some time on sites like TalentRooster or YouTube to see how other savvy candidates are standing out form the pack. Upon completion of your video, think about adding a "click here to meet me" button to your resume, blog and LinkedIn profile. Allow potential employers to see and hear you, versus viewing a static paper resume. Your "elevator pitch" might just make the difference.

When replying to jobs posted on Monster, CareerBuilder and other sites, include your video! 89% of employers revealed that they would watch a video resume if it were submitted to them. Although most employers have not yet used this new technology as an evaluative tool, only 17% have actually viewed a video resume, however the vast majority are open to the idea. These numbers are growing exponentially and it's only a matter of time until every company requires video as part of their applications process. Get this - the primary reason why employers would value a candidate's video is the ability to assess a candidate's professional presentation and demeanor. How many times have you said, "if they'd just meet me, they'd hire me"!!  Hiring managers feel the same way - give yourself the chance! Check out TalentRooster.com to learn how to create your professional video that will move you to the front of the hiring line!!

Comment by Sandra McCartt on November 29, 2011 at 12:26pm: David, if you agree with Jerry that video resumes are crap why is this blog a pitch to job seekers to use your product to do a video resume that they send to employers even through job boards. What you have just described seems to me to totally different than what your post is selling.

Comment by David DeCapua on November 29, 2011 at 12:31pm: @ Sandra - Here's the irony - video interview = video resume - it's all semantics. What would you call a video where your candidate answers client specific questions? Our technology enables you to send a link to a candidate to create a video interview / resume from home - you select the questions. I'm not sure video resumes are "crap", but the connotation certainly is... All I know is video is quickly becoming the future of our industry - there's no denying that, call video what you will. Hope this helps.

Comment by Bill Schultz on November 29, 2011 at 1:27pm: @ amy- what is this "pen" you speak of?

Comment by Amy Ala Miller on November 29, 2011 at 2:03pm: @Bill - you'll have to pry my pens out of my cold dead hands! (or something like that). Red for resume notes (on paper of course) - Black and Blue ink have special meanings as well. Don't even get me started on my whiteboard and 6 different dry erase markers.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on November 29, 2011 at 2:59pm: I don't think we are talking semantics, pun intended. I would call a video where a candidate answers specific questions requested by the client or a two way conversation via video an interview. A video developed with a candidate talking about what they have done , a one way conversation, that is submitted to a client as the initial contact would be a resume. What i read your post to say is that candidates should do a video resume that will allow them to get their face in front of an employer before the employer has requested any contact or asked any questions and a replacement for a word doc resume that can be printed out. Take the word video out of it and tell me if an interview is the same thing as a resume. Now put the word video back in the same sentence and tell me that it's the same thing.

@Amy I use red pen to mark up those resumes too. When i get excited about a candidate i start writing in green. God i love white boards as well as highlighters. Not sure how i could mark up a video resume but the ones i have seen with one notable exception that cost the candidate about 3 grand would have been left in the family christmas photo album of kids dancing in front of the Christmas tree. It is not a lie that the camera adds ten pounds and enhances every zit and twitch of the wandering eye.

Comment by Amy Ala Miller on November 29, 2011 at 3:51pm: All I know about video is our campus recruiter is making some for our corporate page. I took 6 tries to give a 30 second pitch on why I like recruiting for Zones. No thanks... I won't be making that mistake again. Plus I talk with my hands (married to an Italian) so I don't video well. I'll stick with paper thanks very much.

@Sandra ooh highlighters... :) and yes green ink when we have the money conversation.

Comment by Bill Schultz on November 29, 2011 at 4:16pm: i wish there was an app from which you can mark up a resume in an ipad. Maybe there is one and I don't know about it. I just use "notes" and attach it to the resume file.

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