There’s an interesting post about video resumes on the Your HR Guy Blog. As a former HR Gal and current resume writer and coach, I try to wear both hats when determining what self-marketing tactics will best market my candidates. The video resume may make sense for an actor, news anchor, or motivational speaker, but many of us don’t have the stage presence (or professional equipment) to produce a quality video. The more appropriate alternative to a video resume is a web portfolio. The web portfolio is a career management tool that is appropriate for every profession. It is created to support a person’s credibility and visibility within a given industry or job function. It is not necessarily connected with a current search campaign, but it is an excellent tool for building networking contacts and making it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to find candidates to fill their open positions. The portfolio contains many of the same elements that a traditional self marketing campaign would such as a profile, overview of accomplishments, career progression, and bio, but it is more personable, visual, and perhaps more memorable than just a resume. The web portfolio is not meant to replace the resume, but rather to complement it. Video resumes may make sense for some. But for others, a web portfolio might be what makes the difference between a good and a great career marketing campaign.
Video Resumes…Wave of the Future or Passing Fad?
Hey Barbara,
Great post. I think the reality with both technologies (vid resumes and portfolios) is that simple text resumes are proving to be an inefficient tool to find and differentiate candidates in the twenty-first century. Love to hear any more thoughts you have on the issue.
Nathaniel,
Thanks for commenting. You’re right. With so many great new venues for sharing information like streaming video, podcasts, and blogs, sometimes a paper resume seems somewhat dated. But at the same time, the paper resume is still the cultural norm and something hiring managers are typically most comfortable with. The best candidates will continue to be the ones that can present their value add in a clear and compelling way. Sometimes that means using a paper resume and other times it means using some sort of visual tool to complement the traditional resume. I think it’s an incredibly exciting time for job seekers because the possibilities for connecting with decision makers are much broader than they were a decade or two ago.