You’re on the hunt for a new job—your dream job. And that means you want to make a splash with recruiters for the best chance of landing that job. The job market today is so competitive, you need something extra to stand out from the other applicants. So, how do you do that? A popular choice is including a video resume, a visual presentation that gives your job application a personal touch.
According to LinkedIn, 76% of hiring managers are amenable to receiving a pre-recorded video of potential candidates. As such, creating a video resume is a pretty safe decision to include in your next job hunt. In fact, it’s the ideal way to stand out for your dream job.
If there’s a better way to get your point across to recruiters, we haven’t found it. That’s why today we’re going to take a look at how you can make your video resume stand out. We'll show you step-by-step how to create a video resume for a job, making sure it captures the attention of hiring managers.
But first, let’s consider why you should make a video resume in the first place. Video production is no small effort. Of course, that means you’ll want to know if it’s worth it before you put in the work.
First of all, creating a video CV allows you to engage recruiters directly, showcasing your personality and communication skills. A video demands attention whereas a PDF of your resume may be scanned by an ATS and never glimpsed by a live person. What’s more, a video resume means a recruiter has to see you, the person, pitching yourself to them. This way you’re more than a few bullet points on a resume, you’re a professional with the skills to fill the position.
Next up, a video can show your personality and emotions to a recruiter more than a resume ever could. Once again, this humanizes you doing the recruitment process. It’s easier to pass over a physical resume than a human being speaking to you directly. Plus, it allows you to demonstrate soft skills such as presentation and communication to your recruiter.
To see how a video resume achieves this firsthand, check out this example here.
When learning how to make a video resume for a job, it's crucial to include essential elements that showcase your best self. From demonstrating your work experience and skills to highlighting your achievements, a video resume should tell your professional story engagingly and succinctly. Use this opportunity to show off soft skills that don't come through in a written resume, like your ability to engage an audience or work well in team settings.
Now that we’ve covered why you should make a video resume, let’s take a look at how to make that video resume work for you.
Video resumes are inherently narrative by nature. You’re telling the story of you. Why you are a good candidate for the position, and what you’ll bring to the team. As such, you should deliver your experience and achievements as a story. And with any good story, you need to answer the big questions:
Who you are and who you have worked for. Why were you working there and when? What did you achieve in that position and how? Answering all of these questions will allow you to build a narrative that will resonate with recruiters.
Just like a regular resume, you need to deliver the information in a concise manner. Recruiters have many candidates to screen, and will not be willing to watch a thirty-minute video on a single candidate. Keep your video to around 90 to 120 seconds. Much longer than that, you risk losing recruiter interest. Shorter, and you may not create the impact that you’re looking for.
This plays into being brief. You need to get straight to the point. Meandering during your video risks losing recruiter interest just as much as a drawn-out presentation. Focus on the key points you want to get across. Include only your biggest assets relevant to the role that you’re pursuing.
The entire point of the video resume is to sell yourself and get hired. Ending on a call to action will prompt recruiters to look into you further, assuming you’ve piqued your interest. This call-to-action could be any number of things, from suggesting the recruiter check out your professional website/portfolio or to contact you directly. Regardless of your choice of CTA, have one. Leave the recruiter with a direction to take once the video is finished.
Remember how we discussed meandering will ruin your video resume? Well, the best way to counter this is to use a script. A script will keep you focused and collected while you’re recording. You won’t have to memorize a thing. Simply write out everything you need to say, and deliver it with confidence.
Just don’t forget, you have to read that script on camera, and checking your notecards on camera isn’t going to impress. That’s why you’ll want a teleprompter. It will free your hands and let you focus on delivering your message rather than fumbling with a physical script.
The Teleprompter app offers an easy-to-use UI that you can use alongside any equipment that you’ll be using. It’ll keep you focused and looking professional without stumbling over any of your words - perfect for a video resume. Plus, if you’re missing a suite of audio and video recording devices, you can use Teleprompter to record 4K video on any iOS device. That means anywhere you take your device, you can record a video resume while you’re there.
Creating a video resume isn’t over when you stop recording. Now you need to edit and review what you’ve made. Be on the watch for any unnecessary moments of dead air, potential verbal slip-ups, and generally anything you can do in post to improve your resume. Plus, with a little technical know-how, you can include graphics and transitions to give your video an even more professional feel.
You may post your video résumé on many other platforms, so make sure it's optimized for every kind of screen, be it LinkedIn, your personal portfolio website, or even an email attachment. Ensuring a seamless visual experience requires optimizing your video's file type and size.
Firstly, consider the file format. Formats like MP4 are widely compatible across both desktop and mobile platforms, making them a safe choice for your video resume. They maintain a balance between quality and file size, ensuring your video looks professional without being too large to share or download.
Speaking of size, you'll want to keep your video file small enough to be easily downloadable without sacrificing video quality. High resolution does not always mean better, especially if the file becomes too cumbersome for someone on a slower internet connection. Aim for a resolution that is clear and sharp on most screens, such as 1080p, which offers a good balance for both detail and file size.
Moreover, when uploading your video resume to a specific platform like LinkedIn, take a moment to review any platform-specific recommendations or limitations they might have regarding video uploads. This could include maximum file sizes, preferred video lengths, and other requirements that could affect how your video is received.
Finally, consider accessibility and ease of use. Include captions or a transcript for those who might have hearing impairments or prefer to watch without sound. This not only makes your video more inclusive but can also help with SEO on platforms that index video content.
At the end of the day, the key to making a good video resume is appearing confident and professional on-camera above all else. And that can be hard if you don’t have the right tools. Thankfully, Teleprompter is here to help.
Teleprompter is a quick-to-setup teleprompter application that you can run on any iOS device, making it incredibly convenient for recording professional video resumes to land your dream job.
Check out Teleprompter today on the app store.
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