The “who, what and how” of video resumes. Below is a transcript from a virtual workshop conducted by MATRIX — John Verret (Regional Director), Elizabeth Varrenti (Vice President of Professional Development), Kyle Rampy (Regional Recruiting Manager), and Megan Abstein (Professional Development Manager). Watch the full recording here.
JV: For job seekers today, it’s a very, very challenging time. Unemployment is at 14.7%, the worst since the Great Depression. So, it's more difficult than ever to be in the market, and it's hard to get noticed. But what we're talking about today can help.
If your video content is engaging, you can kick off the interview process before it even begins. In our workshop today, we're going to talk about the “why, what, and how” of using video to attract attention and leave a positive impression.
LinkedIn reports that users spend 3x more time watching videos than looking at static content.
89% of employers said they would watch a video resume if submitted to them.
72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video.
By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic.
Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to just 10% reading it.
KR: Even before this pandemic started, recruiters were using video to speak with candidates all the time. Employers are becoming smarter and they're becoming more risk-averse. There's been some “bait and switch” out there for candidates who send in a resume and say they can do the job, but really when it comes down to it, they don't have the skills. Sometimes it's even a different person who shows up.
Now, employers are often requiring us to do another step in our due diligence process to get people on video. To make sure the person who’s there, is actually the same person they have been speaking with. I think this is going to become more of a factor in the marketplace moving forward.
EV: With many of us working from home, people crave interaction with other people, and we are not having that day to day like we're used to. And video sort of checks that box.
JV: Okay, let's get into the “what.”
MA: I am going to go over a couple things that you can utilize from a video standpoint that makes it a bit less daunting. Obviously, you need a computer or laptop with a camera. You can even use a smartphone. And there are several free apps out there that can be used on your smartphone like Record it!
From a PC standpoint, there are desktop applications. If you have access to Camtasia or Snagit, those both have recording capabilities. I'm a big fan of Chrome extensions and the one that MATRIX has been using regularly since the pandemic hit is Loom.And now Loom is an app on your smartphone.
KR:And it’s free.
EV:It’s also portable. This Loom app, you can have it on your phone, you can have it on your laptop, you can get the Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store. You can record a video on the fly, and then copy the link to the video anywhere you can embed it such as a Word doc.
MA: And put it in on a resume, on your LinkedIn profile, or in an email. And it can easily be renamed to whatever you want the hiring manager to see.
It makes your LinkedIn profile a living profile. You can put yourself over your static picture on LinkedIn and have a video of you talking about yourself and about your experience and how you look forward to speaking with a hiring manager. It really is a game changer.
EV: Could you also record yourself talking with your resume in the background?
MA: Yes, but the viewer is not going to be able to see your face.
KR: So, this could be good for say somebody like a UX designer who can be talking over their online portfolio. Or maybe a developer sharing some code.
JV: When it is posted on LinkedIn, is it for everyone to see, or just the recruiters?
KR: That's a good question. Honestly, it's up to you. You can post it out there to see if you want to get more traction towards a particular hiring manager or hiring authority. If you want to direct it more generally towards external recruiters, that’s fine, too.
And just like your resume, you can use different versions for different things — a vanilla version of yourself giving your elevator pitch or targeted to a specific hiring manager. You could even send a thank you note after an interview.
For example, you could say “Here's a video of what I'm passionate about. Here's where I've been the last six, seven years. This is what I'm good at. This is what I'm looking to do moving forward.” And include that link in your message to them or on your connection request on LinkedIn to them.
You could even pull up the company website and record a video talking about what you like about that company. Find a commonality. “I see you went to the University of Georgia. So did I.” Include personal tidbits like that in the video when you're applying for a position.
Lastly, is the signature block. If you're searching for a job, include a link in the signature block and rename it “hire me.” Click on that link and you have your elevator pitch.
JV: Let’s move on to the “how” of video interviews.
EV: So, at MATRIX, we've gone to a remote sales organization. I've worked with a lot of our account executives on recording these short introductory videos to use in a selling sales type email introduction. And one of the things I've observed is when people are new to video, they think they must be super buttoned down, scripting out and reading everything they're saying. And it just comes across the little flat.
Another important thing is to keep the videos very short. What do you guys think in terms of length?
MA: No longer than a minute.
KR: A hiring authority is looking at resumes. They may scan through one for about 20 seconds before deciding whether it’s interesting. So, with video, you should have to think of it along the same lines.
EV: The most compelling videos I've seen are when people relax a bit, are not so scripted, and they're not reading. I think you need to clean yourself up. You don't want to be in t-shirt. But a nice golf shirt or a nice blouse, that gives you that conversational feel.
Also, the key is practicing. Send it to your recruiter. Send it to a friend. You may have to record it multiple times. And that’s okay.
KR: I recorded a marketing video for MATRIX a couple weeks ago and it probably took me ten takes the first time. It’s going to take some time to get used to yourself on camera.
MA: A nice feature of Loom is you can immediately delete and start over again.
EV: When it comes to lighting, natural lighting is best. Morning light or later afternoon light, I'm told, gives you the most natural look.
Also, stand up when you record your video. I feel like it gives me more energy, more engaged than if I'm hunched over at my desk.
Infuse your video with a bit of your personality. Smile. Be human. People want to make that human connection.