Whatever job you apply for, and whatever stage you’re at in your life, be it school leaver, undergraduate, graduate or even if you’re a middle aged professional looking for a career change, you should always try to make a job application stand out.
If you’re tasked with a presentation during your interview, you could think outside the box and try something bizarre.
However, this is a big risk and could go disastrously. Just ask our own project manager, who experienced a massive epic fail when interviewing for a job at an advertising agency. It has retrospectively been described as ‘The Worst Interview Ever.’
Rather than mess your job application up at such a critical stage, you could grab the employer’s attention by submitting a video CV alongside your job application. Caught your attention? Good. Read ahead.
What is a Video CV?
A video CV does exactly what it says on the tin. You’ve probably heard your university careers adviser bang on about how you need to make your CV stand out and catch the employer’s attention within the first five seconds of reading it. That’s pretty tough when the first five seconds of reading will only take the employer to the second line of your address.
That’s why video CV’s are becoming more popular. Firstly, they’re completely different to the standard A4 sized CV. Secondly, they give your job application personality straight from the off. The employer will be able to see you, get a feel for the type of person you are and will also be able put a face to the name straight away.
Our mate Alex Townley, who works over at Inspiring Interns, loves video CVs because it “saves employers time as they don’t have to trawl through hundreds of CVs to find the best candidate.”
Sound like something you’d like to try out? Fantastic. Well, let’s move on then…
Tips for Making a Video CV
There’s some really basic stuff you should consider when you make your video CV. Firstly, you should film it in a clean environment (not in front of your washing basket!) and should speak clearly, look directly into the camera (but don’t be weird and stare the employer out). Doing all this will make you come across as a presentable and confident individual.
Additionally, keep it under 120 seconds. You can say a lot in two minutes and if your video CV goes on and on and on the employer will inevitably get bored. Keep it snappy and vibrant. Don’t just reel your skills off for half the video. Talk about where you developed your skills, how hardworking you are and how you know you’re going to succeed in this particular role.
So how do you get your video from being on your smartphone or computer to being in front of the employer?
Well, we’re not sure if you heard, but there’s this video sharing website called TubeYou- no wait, YouTube where you can upload your video. Don’t worry about it getting into the wrong hands though, there’s a private function where only people with the link can view the video.
With video CV’s on the rise and the majority of employers wishing to see them involved in the recruitment process, why not give it a go? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!