Do's

  • Dress professional; treat this video resume like you would a first job interview.
  • Introduce yourself; let the employer know who you are.
  • Be concise; rule of thumb: keep your video between 1-3 minutes long. Time flies by when you are taping it, but not when an employer is watching.
  • Make eye contact & be enthusiastic; show off your personality & let employer see how excited you are not in just words, but your tone & body language.
  • Focus on results; tell employers what quantifiable results you've delivered for other companies & what you can do for them.
  • Be thankful; don't forget to end your video by thanking the employer for their time.
  • Practice runs; get used to talking in front of the camera. Try writing down your thoughts and practicing it in front of a mirror to get a feel for your facial expressions.
  • Use a Tripod; keep the camera on a level area to avoid bouncing & image streaking.
  • Tape a few seconds; then check it out to make sure the lighting, background & sound are ok.

Don'ts

  • Dress in casual clothes; this is your first impression – make it a good one.
  • Just start right in; take a moment to establish who you are & why they should continue to watch.
  • Tell your life story; keep the information relevant to the job & industry you are applying for.
  • Read from a script; no one wants to watch you read from a script behind the camera.
  • Just read your resume; employers want to know more about than what is on your resume – here's your chance.
  • Go overboard; if you are running long on time, take a 2nd look to see what you can leave out. Don't just cut it off without saying a quick summary or thanks.
  • Forget to review; take a look at what you've taped to make sure its good on time, sounds and background. We want to see & hear you clearly!
  • Hold the camera; no tripod? Get creative with a stack books or boxes.
  • Waste your time; Be sure to do a test tape & verify we can see and hear you clearly.
This is your chance to show an employer the things they can’t see in your resume – Make It Count!