Video Resumes: 7 Tips for Making Yours Great

Someday soon, the video resume will no longer be a novelty; it'll be a necessity. If you want to get ahead of the curve, The Ladders offers 7 video resume tips from a video pro. Check out the first three:

1. Employers review most paper resumes in less than 10 seconds; bear that in mind and keep your clips short.
2. Don't bother with VHS tapes, DVDs or CD-ROMs. Provide a link to the video resume instead.
3. Don't use YouTube, Vimeo or any other video-server service where other material may provide distractions. Many companies block their employees' access to those sites anyway.

The tips come from Townley Paton, president of InterviewClips.com, a site that helps you create and share interview-oriented video clips. Some of them are, I must admit, a bit lame, but pay special attention to tip #7: "Beware of poor production values. Not using a tripod; low camera quality; poor sound; rough compression; or worst of all, poor lighting, will kill your chances of making a good impression." (That should have been tip #2, if not #1.)

Have you ever created a video resume? Thought about it? I haven't had to apply for a job in a while (lucky me!), but the next time the need arises, you can bet I'll be doing it in front of the camera. I think a video resume can be so much more effective than the paper variety.

Agree? Disagree? Let's hear from you in the comments!

More on BNET:

• Make a Video Resume at FacesForce
• Should You Solicit Video Resumes From Job Applicants?
• Video: How to Tank Your Interview