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Video Resume Tips? 

Q. Recently I heard about video resumes and thought it might be a good idea to make one. How long should it be? - Sarah

A. A couple of quick thoughts on Video Resumes. First, the majority of them are poorly produced and that leads to the viewer becoming bored quickly. Just like if a person is watching a video on the internet, if it doesn't look good or they don't connect to the content quickly the video gets turned off. The same goes with a video resume so if you choose to make one, make sure it is informative and entertaining.

Secondly, although the video resume is a great idea in theory it is cumbersome to recruiters and hiring personnel. People involved in the hiring process are busy and they have a routine. Each is searching for certain information when reviewing a perspective candidate and resumes are structured to enable quick scans for this important data. Video resumes force these busy people to sit and wait until the video covers the information needed, if it is even covered at all. A typical recruiter gives a resume in less than two minutes on first glance and if they don't see what they need they move on to the next candidate. Most video resumes are at a minimum 3 minutes in length and many are much longer.

In our opinion, the current format of video resumes does not effectively increase your chances of getting a job. Spend the time you would have used in the recording and production of the video for developing a resume with impact and researching opportunities best suited to your skill sets. If you feel you need a video resume, keep it short and ensure your resume accompanies.

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