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Ryan Paugh graduated from Penn State in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business. After working in corporate communications, freelance writing and reporting, he co-founded 
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Ever watch the cheesy casting videos from the Real World on MTV? Young adults all over the country would send in tapes explaining why they deserved to live in a house, with however many strangers and have their lives taped. This could be the future of recruitment…
Obviously, I’m not talking about finding out what happens when corporate rats “stop being polite, and start being real.” What I’m talking about is video resumes.
Online job listers, including CareerBuilder, are preparing to launch video services on their sites. It would serve as way to sell yourself to potential employers in a more personal manner than a resume. I’m all for it, but unfortunately, not everybody is on board. Attorneys warn that this is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
“Just don’t even deal with them,” says Dennis Brown, an attorney in the San Jose, Calif. His concern is that they provide unnecessary information including race, sex, disability and age before the face-to-face interview even takes place. This could end in a discrimination lawsuit. “This is one of those instances where a little bit of unnecessary knowledge is dangerous.”
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) conveys similar concerns. They’re worried that people who aren’t tech-savvy or don’t have access to technology will be excluded…but wait a minute. Aren’t these the kind of skills companies are looking for?
I’m all for equal opportunity, but aren’t individuals without tech skills or everyday access to modern technology at a disadvantage despite the consequences of video resumes? What’s going to change by offering people more interesting and personal ways to express themselves to recruiters?
The sad truth is, there’s some big corporate players out there with big issues when it comes to discrimination. Video resumes will just make it easier for them to dump a potential hire if they don’t fit their ideal stereotype. But this is a typical discrimination case where the emphasis is put upon the means instead of the men. Don’t disparage a great opportunity for employees to express themselves because of a few bad eggs.
I’ve been anti-resume since I was old enough to start writing them. In college, a professor gave me the unique idea of creating a Web site that shows employers what you’re really made of. I’m currently taking a web design class to make this a reality.
Should I not do this because of someone else’s limited resources? Of course not! A progressive society can’t slow down and wait for everyone to catch up. You have to keep moving! So when it comes to video resumes, I say go for it.
According to the 2007 Video Resume Survey, conducted by Vault Inc., 89 percent of employers would watch a video resume if they received it. Only 17 percent of those surveyed have even seen one!
If you have the creativity, the tech-savvy and the resources, cash in. Hopefully companies won’t get too caught up in the legal babble, giving them more time get acquainted with their next company go-getter via the old-fashioned MTV Real World technique.
Popularity: 5%
If a picture is worth 1000 words, what’s a video resume worth?
I agree you shouldn’t be constrained by the limited resources of others. That’s definitely not a reason not to do this.
The better reason not to do it is that there’s a bigger chance to suck at it. Video production is an order of magnitude more difficult to accomplish than something written, so while there is a higher ceiling on how good you can look to a potential employer, there’s a lower floor too. That’s not to say you have to hire Spielberg to edit it for you, but you don’t want poor production values to distract from your message in the same way you don’t want funky fonts doing the same thing for you on paper.
It’s a great idea if you can pull it off. Just carefully consider whether or not you can and at least put away those dirty clothes in the background.
—Pete
nerdguru.net
Pete:
Absolutely! There’s definitely that risk. Good presentation skills are key. If you can pull it off, it certainly says a lot.
Thanks.
-Ryan Paugh
Good post (I agree with Pete, btw). I do try and avoid “video resume” and use “video profile.” There is no way that you are going to make a good, interesting video resume, I think. But a profile has different boundaries.
Funny that the legal eagle would say it provides an opp to discriminate before the interview. Doesn’t a name like Juan Lopez, who graduated from high school in 1999 and college in 2004 tell me that this is person that is:
1. probably male
2. probably hispanic
3. probably pretty young
??
Jason Alba
CEO - JibberJobber.com
start managing relationships now
I think there’s probably a fine line to walk here. It’s probably much more useful for some fields, (graphic design, pr) than others (such as accounting). And we also need to be careful that in our attempts to “express ourselves” that we don’t lose sight of professionalism.
I have a feeling this will be the unfortunate demise of many good candidates. This type of profile has to be done well, but it will likely be viewed along the same lines as writing talent. Everyone thinks they can write well, but those who actually do write well know differently.
Jacqui:
I see what you’re saying. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal though.
First off, a good candidate to begin with would not lose sight of his professional attitude. Secondly, if you’re applying for an accountant position (as your example) and a recruiter is accepting video resumes, he/she knows they’re not dealing with a film major. They will pay more attention to the attitude of that cadidate, how they carry themself and their communication skills.
Though you’re right, for an accountant these things may not be the top skills they need. In a lot of jobs they are essential.
Thanks for sharing.
-Ryan
Ryan,
I read your post and one of my favorite phrases came to mind: “People hear what they see.” Unfortunately, when it comes to getting hired, that’s not always a good thing!
As a career coach and workplace consultant, I’ve seen people get burned by this approach to finding a new job - like the client who came to me after spending $5K on a video resume and having zero responses. Here’s the truth: on average, more than 75% of viewers will perceive you differently than you perceive yourself. Interaction Styles play a major role in the hiring process. Creating a video resume puts you at greater risk of landing in the ‘no’ pile than a paper one does.
But here’s what worries me most….
What about all the shy, more reserved people who don’t want to be on video? Will they now be forced to fumble and stumble through a video resume just to compete in the marketplace? Moreover, I don’t think being in a video constitutes being tech savvy at all. There are plenty of people on TV who wouldn’t last a day in an office environment. Funny, but if I were still in HR, I’d avoid video resumes, not because they discriminate, but because they would have the potential of deceiving me and wasting my time. For example, someone does a nice job on camera and I bring them in for a coveted interview spot with managers, only to find out they aren’t qualified - just good at talking into a lens. That would frustrate me…fast!
At the end of the day, the best way to hire the right talent for a firm is via referral. Great employees refer great employees. A resume always looks better to me when it’s been prefaced by a glowing recommendation from someone I know and trust.
J.T. O’Donnell
Professional Development Specialist & Workplace Consultant
www.jtodonnell.com
Hi JT:
You have great points and I agree with all of them.
Video is not the end-all solution to the evolution of the recruiting process. I just think it’s nice that we’re finally seeing a variety of methods for potential employees to communicate with employers.
There’s definitely that risk of being perceived differently when you get behind a camera. You have to be careful. From my early college years as a film major I know that some people tend to animate themselves when they’re the center of attention. But if you can pull off the calm, cool, collected attitude I feel like it says a lot.
You know, I see what you’re saying about being deceived, but as a communications person I have to disagree. Can’t we be deceived by any form of communication?
I could write you an amazing cover letter about how I’m motivated, energetic and eager to learn…but maybe I’m just a good writer. How do you know I’m even being serious now? I guess because you kind of know me. But what if you didn’t? I could walk into your office and be an entirely different individual.
Referrals are always going to be the best way to hire the right talent. Twentysomethings don’t always have that luxury though. As a entry-level college grad, the more opportunities you have to communicate with recruiters the better. If you can pull off the video resume by staying cool behind the camera and not spending five grand in the process, why not give it shot?
JT:
In retrospect…I guess I didn’t agree with all of your points…haha. But as always, thanks for your input.
-Paugh
Thanks Ryan, BTW, I’d be disappointed if you agreed with me on all the points. That’s why I love this blog!
Ironically, the purpose/value of blogs was really lost on me until I came across EmployeeEvolution.com. There is no better way to expand people’s perspectives then engage them in multiple dialogs in this manner. It just took a blog that spoke to a passion of mine to finally make me see their worth.
Experience = Learn = Grow is the equation I use regularly in my practice to articulate the path to professional satisfaction - something that eludes more than half of Americans today. So it’s very exciting to have a site I can send clients to that helps them see what I mean.
I’m just wondering if you shouldn’t have called it “Employee Revolution” instead? That way, all the generations could jump in!
CareerBuilder.com has launched their video resume service.
Please review and send any feedback to me at matthew.mcnair@careerbuilder.com