The phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’ sound a lot more meaningful today, what with video resumes becoming essential in a job seeker’s toolbox!

In a highly competitive job market abound with countless paper CVs, job application emails, personal messages and job portals from where anyone can apply for jobs, video resumes are your best bet to stand out and actually let the employer see the real person behind the paper, which hardly happens with a general resume.

According to a study, it gives you a better chance to get noticed by employers in a 60-second video resume as compared to a paper one, which may not get their complete attention! They are a great way to let you speak for yourself and help you cut to the chase directly, hitting them with all the right chords about why you should be hired!

Let’s look at how video resumes can change the game for you, their benefits and why it should definitely be a part of your job search today.

Why You Need to Switch To A Video Resume…

Time to ditch your regular resume, create a video resume, and make the most of these benefits…

1. Highlights Your Personality:

If you are wondering about the validity of the idea of submitting a video resume, you probably should know this…

According to career publisher Vault Inc.’s annual employer survey:

89% of employers said they would watch a video resume if submitted! 

Do you know why is it that more employers are open to checking out a video resume?

Because they value the fact that a video resume makes it easier for them to understand a candidate’s personality as compared to a traditional resume.

As a candidate, this is exactly why video resumes are for you!

Think of it, you can use your smile, humour, body language, facial expressions and vibrancy to engage with the hiring manager. Essentially, the hiring manager is in a better position to gauge if your communication skills are on point and if you are the right culture fit. Not just that – the amount of work you put into ensuring that your video resume stands out can also be a win when it comes to impressing the hiring manager! It just helps you present yourself way better than any paper or words would!

Aside from the generic resume where your skill-sets and interests are printed on paper, imagine being able to tell your story and speak about them, in a passionate manner, truly convey what inspires you. You can put a face to the achievements and the experience.

2. First Impressions Matter:

The first impression is the last impression and with a video resume, you are down to making your first impression without even setting foot in the hiring manager’s office!

You don’t get to have a re-take in your first interview, after submitting a paper resume, but in your video resume, you get a chance to present yourself in the best possible light, because you are able to record and re-record until you are pleased with your ‘first impression’.

This takes pressure off of you for your next in-person meeting with the hiring manager, since your first impression was a stellar performance already.

3. The Control Lies With You:

A lot of subjective bias can creep in during the process of hiring, which is totally human. You never know how an interviewer will read your resume, and oftentimes, it is highly dependent on their mood. Also, there could always be distractions that keep the interviewers from giving your resume their complete attention!

With a video resume, you are leaving much less room for interpretation!

Someone talking in the video about how they love spending time with people while talking with a warm smile and a gentle pitch goes a long way in showing that he or she is good with people, or in corporate parlance, a ‘people-person’. In essence, you can control the tone, pitch, and personality that go into your resume.

4. Display Skills That Matter:

Interviewers know they have a candidate who is confident in him/herself when someone sends over a video resume instead of a paper resume. It is simply because, to get in front of the camera, to be what you are, to convey and try to convince the employer WHY you are the right fit – it all talks about your own confidence!

You have a set time limit, within which you have to sell yourself and your skills in a creative, personable way. It is the best way to judge a person’s soft-skills and the ability to sell themselves. Video resumes are especially effective if you are applying for customer-facing roles, such as sales and marketing!

Basically, nothing cements the point more aptly that you are a good salesperson than a greatly captured video resume.

5. Showcase Your Creativity:

Who would not like to have innovative team members, a must-have trait amongst the many traits that hiring managers today look for? Recording and sending over a video resume shows that you do not shy away from experiments and are willing to take risks, in line with the contemporary trends.

It also shows your tech-savvy attitude, a great skill for any industry, and that you are able to learn quickly with new and emerging technologies.

You could also be creative with your video resumes (without going overboard) by experimenting with camera angles or adding elements like music or art. This would also depend on the kind of role you are applying for!

A Few Quick Tips for Creating A Video Resume…

Applying for a job with a video resume can create a great impression on hiring managers! Here are some handy tips which can prove resourceful whilst creating your video resume:

1. Get The Basics Right:

Do you enjoy watching those shaky videos on YouTube, where the sound isn’t clear or there’s just a lot of background noise? You barely tolerate them, don’t you? The same holds true for video resumes!

No one wants to listen or look at a video with bad lighting, jittery footage, and poor editing. This will totally kill the charm and sabotage your video from standing out, even if the content is excellent.

While recording your video resume, make sure you choose a quiet place, and that you are fitting the frame. Also, keep your voice moderately loud and clear.

2. Keep It Short:

While a typical video resume could be as long as ninety seconds, an ideal one doesn’t exceed sixty seconds. Since hiring managers are inherently busy, there are fewer chances of them watching an overview of your career for five minutes straight.

A video resume has the capability of showing some of your best intangibles such as confidence, professionalism and presentation skills, unlike your paper resume. It gives you the chance to talk about your story, in a passionate manner, and convey what truly inspires you. Ensure your video highlights this in the given duration.

3. Ask For Help:

Don’t shy away in asking for help to record your video resume. It makes all the difference when you can just concentrate on yourself and talking about your achievements, while a friend holds the camera steady to record you.

Creating an effective video resume is as much about using the right tool, as it is about making it the right way. If you are seeking jobs on iimjobs.com, building video resumes just got easier than ever!

Use ‘Round Zero’ To Build A Crackling Video Resume!

You can now create a video resume using iimjobs.com’s latest offering — Round Zero! It’s built into the portal, and extremely easy to use!

Video resumes are bringing quite a revolution in the world of hiring and recruitment. Make sure you get one made soon!