How to make a great video CV

Video CVs are becoming increasingly popular with jobseekers wanting to stand out from the crowd. Rather than replacing traditional paper CVs, videos enhance job applications by providing employers with more insight into what an individual has to offer. "A traditional CV outlines your skills, qualifications and experience, whereas a video CV enables an employer to get a feel for your personality," says Lisa LaRue, a career coach at CareerWorx. Whether you use a video CV or not depends on the sector, the role you're applying for and you as a person. Video CVs are a great opportunity to show your presentation skills and, according to Elizabeth Bacchus, career coach and founder of The Successful CV Company, they tend to be most appropriate when applying for creative or customer-facing roles in sales, media, marketing, PR and advertising. But Simon Thompson, chief executive of VideoRecruit, believes that a recorded resume doesn't need to be restricted to certain sectors. They can be used "whenever you wish to make an impact with an employer," he says. "Purely having taken the time to prepare a video CV shows the employer you are prepared to go the extra mile to succeed." Video CVs come in many different formats which express individuality – that is one of the best things about them. There is no set rule for creating a video CV, whereas paper CVs tend to have a set format. However, there are some things that good video CVs have in common. For a start, they're best when they're between one and three minutes long. Introduce yourself clearly and tell the viewer why you're the right person for the job. Body language is also important. Maintain eye contact with the camera and have a "happy, cheery disposition". And it's important to dress as though you're attending an interview. The biggest mistake to avoid is having a script 'off camera' that you refer to while recording your video. Try to approach recording your video CV in the same way you would a face-to-face meeting. Don't do anything you wouldn't do in an interview. Your social class, ethnicity, weight, and age can all be gleaned from the first 10 seconds of watching you. You need to be pretty confident about the value you bring to employers when you create a video CV. All in all, if you believe you have something unique to offer and you can communicate this on film, then providing employers with the option to click on a link to a video CV may just give you an edge over other applicants.

Source: www.theguardian.com