Follow us on Twitter

Video Resume/Cover Letter to Google

8
Comments Posted on Feb 20, 2008 Posted by Chris Hoyt (aka: TheRecruiterGuy)

I'm a fan of video Resumes - yeah, I know there are still people out there that are on the fence but I just can't help myself. I'm so much more a fan of clicking 'play' and watching a job seeker interact with me than I am in shuffling through the 2 page resume they may have mailed me. Of course, I won't give prefenece to one over the other - but the vids are certainly more engaging.

Granted, video resumes still make many legal departments nervous and tend to spark discussion about discrimination and adverse impact - and those of us that are recruiting professionals know that as defined by the EEOC and OFCCP disparate adverse impact occurs when an employer uses an employment practices that has an unjustified adverse impact on members of a protected class. Of course - I'm just not seeing the hyoogh issue in the world of video resumes. Truth be told, if you've a hiring manager or recruiter that is racist then the candidate will simply be removed later in the process.
Does that make it right or less of a concern? No - but it certainly doesn't mean that videos are more of a risk than interviews, it's just another avenue to ensure is properly documented/tracked (a whole 'nother discussion.)

What sparked this post today? In my morning YouTube surf I ran accross a prime example of someone making an engaging resume video that is fun to watch. Check out this video by Chris Traeger where he gives his best shot at an opening at Google. Great stuff, Chris. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you - you'd definately get my vote!

Comments  

Posted On
Feb 22, 2008
Posted By
ChrisTraeger
0 Haha, my video is gaining popularity! Thanks for the exposure sir I really appreciate it. Unfortunately Google has yet to get back to me but am still hoping. After months of sending thousands of paper resumes out and not landing a job worthwhile I figured it was time to get creative. So if anybody else out there needs me shoot an email :-).

Thanks again Recruiter Guy!

Chris Traeger
Reply Reply with quote Quote
Posted On
Feb 23, 2008
Posted By
Chris Hoyt (aka: TheRecruiterGuy)
0 Definitely keep me posted, Chris!
Reply Reply with quote Quote
Posted On
Feb 23, 2008
Posted By
David Nesting
0 Definitely creative, but it's a bit long. It's sort of a double-edged sword, right? You want to draw attention to yourself, but you're also competing with paper (electronic) resumes that take a few seconds to scan through, and that's assuming the first line isn't automated. Video resumes are best when they're on the verge of being viral; make recruiters and interviewers *want* to watch it.

A non-trivial part of hiring at Google is identifying a good cultural fit. It's very hard to see this from a resume, or even during the initial phone screens and interviews. Going out of your way like this won't lose you any points.
Reply Reply with quote Quote
Posted On
Feb 24, 2008
Posted By
Steve
0 How will this compare I wonder to what others are doing? I've a question, though. What about:
1. A job is posted for an accountant at a young start up.
2. Two people apply for the job with video resumes.
3. Both people are equally qualified but job seeker #2 has uber video editing skills.

If the young start up hires candidate #2 will they need to justify why in an OFCCP audit? What will the reason be since skills were equal and the applicant's video editing skills aren't really relevant to the job?
Food for thought.
Reply Reply with quote Quote
Posted On
Feb 25, 2008
Posted By
ChrisTraeger
0 I just submitted a new video cover letter/resume for redbull. youtube.com/.../ You'll see a bunch of design cues from the google letter but figured why not post up. And Steve as far as that goes, the same could be said for somebody with uber writing skills. One may be better than the other but the one with writing skills will win, just due to the fact of their ability to sell themselves on a blank boring white piece of paper/email.
Reply Reply with quote Quote
Posted On
Feb 26, 2008
Posted By
Steve
0 Chris I agree. I'm only pointing out concerns. Both of your vids are great, it's just something to consider from a hiring and company exposure perspective.
Reply Reply with quote Quote
Posted On
Feb 02, 2009
Posted By
ramya
0 Thank you everyone to share the information's,
Really video resume/cover letter is useful for me,it is very easy way interact and more benefit for job seekers...
=============
Ramya
cover letter (resume--s.com/.../...)
Reply Reply with quote Quote
Posted On
Feb 13, 2010
Posted By
hemen parekh
0 RE: Video Resume/Cover Letter to Google
Text resumes will be around for a long time. Because everyone can type.

But everyone cannot write a story or a poem.

So, there will also be a demand for expert / professional resume – writers, for a long time to come.

But an ever-increasing number of recruiters feel that graphical / visual / audio resumes have an edge over plain text resumes – prompting emergence of job-portals such as

www.VisualCV.com

which inspired me to come-up with my own

www.CustomizeResume.com

( it is easy to be inspired, but, at the age of 77, difficult to implement! )

With regards

hemen parekh
hcp@RecruitGuru .com
Mumbai -- India
Reply Reply with quote Quote

LEAVE A REPLY

It should be clear that this is the personal blog of a professional recruiter and content found here may not necessarily reflect that of the author's employer. By submitting your comments you understand that RecruiterGuy reserves the right to censor, edit, or even *gasp* delete them, at his sole discretion.

Security code
Refresh

FacebookFeedburnerLinkedInShared Google ReaderTwitterYouTube