Video resumes are a short-term fad

I think it's stupid to think video resumes have no practical use.

Like I said on Penelope's site, traditional resumes are "old school" and boring. And recruiters are lazy if they're just overlooking the video resume because it takes a little longer to observe.

Stop being stubborn and let recruiting attmpt to evolve. You don't need to embrace new methods, but at least give them a chance. What's there to lose?

I've seen many arguments both for and against the video resume and I think the prevailing logic is that it is not going to replace written resumes/cvs as the standard for initial recruiting screening in the immediate future. But I do think that it can be an effective supplement to a well-written resume if it is professionally done and conveys an appropriate image. It might be nice to have a video resume in case an employer is interested in seeing it — but I would never lead with one. At least, not yet.

I agree with Mick's sentiment that the video resume probably won't replace written resumes any time soon. Despite Tyson's hopes, recruiters become particularly busy when they have a position to fill, and the more work you can do to "bottom line" it for them (your background, your skills, and what you bring to the position; that'll be plenty for now, thank you very much), the better.

All of that said, the video resume does have its place when you're looking for positions where your presentation skills are important. I'm not just talking about positions where you will be in front of a camera (how many newscaster openings do we see in any given week, anyway?): teachers, trainers, sales associates, project managers, etc. I would never suggest leading with a video resume or sending one instead of something more traditional and straightforward, but if you can draw a potential employer's attention to yours because it's relevant, it may work in your favor.

Not to mention, having a video resume does imply some degree of technical savvy, which is rarely a bad thing.

The first thing that comes to mind with "video resume" is "Real World application?"

I think in general, video resumes are fairly useless in most fields. Written resumes might be cut and dry, leave out integral info, etc, but that's why there are interviews, both by phone if necessary and then in person. Nothing replaces the interview, so I'd say in the vast majority of fields, a video resume is just completely unnecessary.

Nice article, Ryan. I'm sold on this position in particular: video resumes are not worth the effort unless you are someone with excellent skills on camera.

I agree that normal resumes are old school. There are definitely pros and cons to the paper resume, just like there are with video resumes. However, I think both filming and being in a video are special skills that have little practical use in the workplace. Personal websites or blogs are probably more useful and more in tune with today's technology. But again, people will feel discriminated against if they aren't technologically savvy.

I'm not sure what the answer is, other than to network like crazy so you don't need to worry about impressing a stranger.

@Sean – for very specific positions that require presenting or speaking, a video resume may work. I think an actual video of an old presentation or speach would be more useful though.

-Ryan

Ryan, I agree with you and those three reasons are so good I can see why you called them five!

…or i should have jsut expanded the article and rread the rest.

Ryan, great article. I've been involved in recruiting and looking through many resumes, and a video resume would be really annoying.

On the other hand, the tactic did famously work for Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde.

I think video is an added bonus to your resume. I don't believe it should replace the paper resume, but simply accompany it. So in response to the arguments:

Argument one: You aren't going on live television, so you don't need to be professionally trained. If you don't know the basics of how to sit, where to look, and what to wear, then don't waste your time trying to get a real job. My degree required that I take a business communications class that covered both written and oral communication, and I clearly remember being filmed for one test too.

Argument two: I can't believe you would say that written communication is more important than verbal communication. If anything they are equally important. The workplace has transformed into IM and emailing, which is obviously a much more informal means of written communication, but this is not the same type of written communication that you judge in a resume. I think a majority of kids these days are common users of those tools, but have little experience with professional verbal communication, and a video resume would aid in seeing this.

Argument three, the video should not be to demonstrate your presentation skills, but to show more about who you are then the reader can gather from a piece of paper. In my opinion, this video is meant to see how different people are in person. Yes, you may be shy, and some may be cheerful, but when a company hires you, they look not only for your skills, but also for how well you fit into their corporate culture, and this can most easily be identified in a video.

Argument four and five, I do agree that it may lead to some discrimination, but with Facebook, the opportunity is no greater.

I do agree that a blog or personal website would be an ideal supplement to your resume. If potential employees are not technologically savvy enough to use the likes of Facebook, one of the many easy online blogs, or at most create their own site, then they don't deserve a job in corporate America, seeing that computer knowledge should be in most job requirements.

Videos will probably never replace resumes, just like the internet will probably never replace newspapers. Oops ….

How many of us actually remember thinking we could never get used to reading the news online?. Then we did. Equally, how many of us remember 2 finger typing? Now we type as fast as we think.

Maybe this is the scenario for Video, which is great right now as a screener. It could eventually become the replacment for the Resume as we get used to using it. Or it could be the primary means of presenting yourself, with a supplemental Resume.

HR people and Recruiters are capable of ingnoring the camera-related issues. None of us expect Tom Cruise, and we don't get it. So we all look past to the issues that are important. Could I work with this guy? Are his answers deep enough? Do they sound 'right'? Structure increasindly hard questions and you definitely get a sense of who the candidate is.

Additionally, while I agree that we are not on camera all the time, we do take a role in the office. Those who act out of character, or don't solidify the role they have accepted, or been assigned, tend to do badly in their careers. Moreover, we have to be 'on camera' big time during interview.

I also agree that the 'create a blog' idea works better now. It's often done as a Work Sample exercise.

Just a thought………..

I broached this question to my colleagues in the National Association of Resume Writers regarding the potential of video resumes to supplant the tried-n-true word processor version. No one saw the video resumes as a long-term possibility to become the standard.