4 Ways YouTube Can Help With Your Job Search

A few days ago we posted on the many ways video resumes can backfire for job seekers. But do the challenges of video resumes mean that there is no way to put your video camera to use in your job search? No, says Mashable, which argues that video can play a constructive part in your job hunt, just not necessary as a replacement for a traditional resume.

The site recently suggested several ways to use YouTube as part of your job hunt, all of which suggest getting in front of the camera as a supplement to traditional techniques like networking and sending out resumes. Here are their basic ideas:

• Promote Yourself: While this may seem a little obvious, amazing opportunities can come out of promoting yourself on YouTube. Tom Ferry is a real estate training coach with a best-selling book, Life! By Design. He hopped on YouTube two and a half years ago in order to grow his audience and to own the SEO in his field. Ferry has received speaking engagements and consulting jobs across the world by showcasing his talents.
• Post and Hope: This strategy may be the "Hail Mary" of getting jobs through YouTube, but it has proven successful in many cases. Perhaps the most famous YouTube discovery is Justin Bieber (yes, that Justin Bieber).
• Build It: YouTube can help get you a job even if you don't like putting your face on camera. That's what happened for Stanford student Feross Aboukhadijeh when he created YouTube Instant on a bet to his roommate. The CEO of YouTube, Chad Hurley, was so impressed that he offered him a job over Twitter.
• Enter Online Contests. These days, it's not uncommon for a company or employer to host a video contest on YouTube to draw in potential candidates. For example, Dr. Pepper teamed up with Step Up Director Jon M. Chu to hold a YouTube Dance Contest to find a dancer to feature in an Ultra Records music video. YouTube has an entire page dedicated to contests ranging from short film contests to social good efforts. Keep an eye out for contests in your area of expertise and enter when the right opportunity comes along.

Read More on BNET:

• Is It Time to Make a Video Resume?
• The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of Video Resumes
• 5 Creative Ways to Get a Job