YourHRGuy.com wrote about video resumes recently, casting an overall thumbs down for them. Usually I’m the advocate of technology and doing/thinking about things differently. In this case, I’m going to go with everyone else and pronounce this one to be a bad idea.
Many people have seemed to use tired arguments about phone/in-person interviews, resume and other deficiencies in the interview process. I am well aware of the deficiencies of these methods. Video resumes don’t help. They hurt job seekers when they don’t need it. Good candidates stand out because they give me a resume and cover letter that speaks to the position I am hiring for, they are competent in their field and they show a great interest in their job and our company. Video resumes can rarely communicate that better than a resume or interview. ((YourHRGuy.com, November 4, 2007. “More Video Resumes Aren’t The Answer.”))
I have my own reasons. When you provide a resume, you know for a fact that you have 30 seconds to make an impression from within a very large stack of other candidates. If you are able to make that impression, then you get another few minutes. The problem is that if you send a video resume, it will set you apart, but perhaps not in a positive light. First, just getting the resume to pop up in Real Player or whatever you use will take 30 seconds. Then you have a concise visual and audio resume that can’t possibly convey your background, skills and career desires in 2 minutes let alone 30 seconds. The written resume in the hands of a professional recruiter or even a decent hiring manager is much more effective when it comes to volumes.
The video resume also conveys writing skills, a skill far more important than the ability to video yourself, although speaking skills could certainly be interesting to evaluate (but that’s what the interview is for). Today, most hiring managers and recruiters are probably going to see the video resume as an imposition, something more to spend time on that is probably not a value add. Write a good resume, do a good interview and set yourself apart that way.
9 responses to “Thumbs Down for Video Resumes”
Taragana YourHRGuy.com, November 4, 2007. “More Video Resumes Aren’t The Answer.” [back] Thank you for reading the Tribute Media Human Resources News Feed. Please check the original post here:systematicHR – Human Resources Strategy and Technology. The purpose of this feed it to provide information to the greatest audience possible. In addition, we can drive inbound links to your blog. If you would like to have your blog featured or removed from here or in any of our other newsfeeds, please
Couldn’t agree with you more on the video resume not being a good tool.
That being said, we do believe that video does play (and will play and even more) important role in improving the hiring process.
Video job interviews as a screening tool are a win-win for all parties involved.
Carl Chapman
COO
http://www.interview-on-demand.com
You’re right!Video resumes are not good!Although rare, in some cases, hr representatives will not avoid looking or judging the personality first before checking the ability of the applicant.
Hmmm. I submitted a response to this blog on February 20th and haven’t seen it posted yet…. must have done something wrong. Also sent two emails to you about this via your contact form.
I’m wondering if my comment was too long? Is there a size limit to responses on your Blog?
You might want to go to my Blog topic entitled “What’s All This About Video Resumes?” at http://interviewstudio.blogspot.com.
Colleen Aylward, Founder, InterviewStudio.com
Sorry Colleen. It should come as no surprise to me that the site is falling apart at the seams. A bit of routine maintenance is probably in order. For a technology guy, I sure do hate testing!!! Please repost if you care to do so.
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well, better try an app for high quality video resume creation http://interv.io