A video resume is typically a video or a series of short videos in which you discuss your professional background: work experience, acquired skills, and your vision of both your past and future career path.
In fact, this format includes the same information as a traditional resume but offers an opportunity to present it in a way that suits you. We highlight several advantages that a video resume can provide:
- Typical written resumes are simply letters on paper. With a written resume, it is difficult to create a complete image of an applicant. Speech adds emotion to the information, and emotions convey your attitude and personality.
- Most soft skills you list on your resume will be visible in a video. This offers a unique opportunity to showcase your abilities before others do. Confident, positive, and vibrant individuals stand out.
There’s much more to discuss, so if you're interested in exploring the topic further, you can read this article. However, here we will focus on the process of creating a video resume, so let’s begin with a few useful tips.
- A video resume can be one continuous video or a series of shorter videos on different career-related topics.
- Emotions conveyed through a video help create a complete image of a person.
- A video resume allows you to present yourself earlier and more clearly than others.
Video Resume Recording Tips
In the video, you should discuss your work experience and personal achievements—topics that everyone understands. But how should you present them?
- Confidence is key: not only does what you say matter, but how you say it matters too! Present yourself as a professional who knows their worth, strengths, and abilities. No one knows you better than you do.
- Choose the right place to record. A calm, uncluttered background is preferable. Bright colors and too many small details can be distracting. When selecting a location, the most important factor is lighting. Your face should be well-illuminated.
- Your appearance is important as well. By appearance, we mean not only the style of your haircut and the color of your clothes (which largely depend on the field you work in), but also your overall neatness. Small details, like wrinkled or dirty clothes, a fatigued look, and dark circles under your eyes, can draw unnecessary attention and distract from the most important thing — your speech.
- A video resume is not the same as a video interview, meaning you can take as many shots as you need. Don’t be afraid to try multiple times until you're satisfied, but try to avoid reading from a script. There’s no value in presenting yourself through speech if it's obvious that you're just reading a text.
These are tips on details you might not have thought about. Please consider them while recording. Additionally, paying attention to your body language and maintaining eye contact with the camera can enhance the overall effectiveness of your video resume.
- The key to a successful video resume is confidence.
- Ensure your recording space has good lighting, a simple background, and is quiet.
- To avoid distracting listeners from your speech, pay attention to your clothing and hairstyle. Make sure you look neat and appropriate.
- Don’t limit yourself to just one take—this is your recording, so take as much time and as many tries as you need.
uhired: A Perfect Start
Most people familiar with video resumes simply record a video with the same information found in their written resumes. However, uhired has developed a better approach.
On the uhired platform, you create a profile that serves as the equivalent of a traditional written resume. Typically, the next step would be recording a video, but not on uhired. Based on your profile, our AI generates a list of questions for you to answer in video format.
These questions not only require slightly different information from what you've already added to your profile but are also highly relevant to the position you're seeking. Additionally, since you can choose multiple positions, you can record separate video resumes for each one.
After you've recorded your answers and saved them on the platform, we handle the editing. We create a webpage that serves as your complete video resume, which you can share via a link wherever needed.
We prioritize easy navigation. Each question you've answered is listed on the page, clickable, and links to the corresponding video. Additionally, there is brief information about you and the position you're seeking.
- Don’t just copy your resume text into a video; be smarter.
- On uhired, you answer tailored questions about your past experience and future plans.
- The platform, questions, and editing are all handled by uhired; you just need to record yourself.
- The platform is easy to use, with intuitive navigation.
What Are the Benefits?
We’ve mentioned several advantages of a video resume. Now, it’s time to take a closer look at them in action. Examining these benefits in practice will provide insights into how they contribute to a more dynamic and engaging presentation.
Making a Proper First Impression
Imagine you’re an employer with an in-demand position. You post the job opening on various platforms and start receiving responses. Among them, there are 99 typical written resumes and just one video resume. Which one would you be more interested in? Which one would you be more likely to open first?
Moreover, since it's a video, an applicant can present themselves in the way they want to be perceived. A video resume creates a much stronger and more vivid impression of the person.
Some of the questions selected by uhired may involve hypothetical situations where you need to improvise. This approach allows you to showcase all your skills and qualities in the best possible light.
- By recording a video resume, you create an opportunity to stand out instantly, potentially being one of the few (or the only one) to submit a video.
- The first impression is crucial—what better way to make it than with a well-structured and professionally recorded video resume?
- uhired's questions for the video resume will showcase both your personality and abilities from different perspectives.
Prove Your Soft Skills
Soft skills are essential for any worker. While some soft skills are specific to certain positions, most of them—such as communication, teamwork, and time management—should always be present.
Through a video, an employer can immediately evaluate these skills. For example, if someone applying for a call center operator position can't communicate effectively, it will be evident.
On the other hand, if you don’t have much experience but possess all the soft skills required for the position, a video resume becomes a huge advantage and the best opportunity to showcase them.
Our question list is a helpful tool, as it may include questions that focus on the specific soft skills most important for the role. You can also add your own questions to help demonstrate your strengths.
- Soft skills are an essential part of every employee's competence.
- A video resume is the best tool to demonstrate and evaluate them.
- Since uhired's AI generates questions specific to each position, candidates can showcase the most relevant soft skills by answering them.
Show Your Hard Skills
Not every hard skill can be demonstrated in a video. However, the way you discuss your hard skills will reveal your understanding of the subject matter. Some questions ask about your work experience in general or in specific situations, while others prompt you to imagine future challenges and find optimal solutions.
Still, there are hard skills you can prove you possess. Take language proficiency as an example. Anyone can claim they are advanced in speaking three foreign languages. However, there's no way to truly prove it before the initial interview—except through a video resume. It’s your unique chance to demonstrate your fit for the position earlier than others can.
- Hard skills vary significantly depending on the job.
- Therefore, uhired's questions are tailored specifically to your desired position and the hard skills it requires.
- Some skills, such as language proficiency or acting, can be demonstrated much earlier than in an interview, giving you an advantage over others.
Personality Matters
Your personality is one of the most important aspects to showcase right from the start. For an employer, one of the key factors, aside from skills, is whether an applicant is a good fit for the team. While a written resume conveys nothing but unverified information, a video resume allows you to present yourself directly.
The way you speak, your attitude toward work, and the emotions you express while discussing it—all of these aspects are part of who you are. And here’s where the impression comes in. Through a video, you create a connection with a potential employer, much like the one formed in a first in-person interview. In other words, you’re acting proactively.
- Trustworthy employers look for a person first, not just past experience.
- That’s why showcasing your unique personality in a video is so beneficial.
- By recording a video resume, you take the initiative.
Recording a video resume can be a huge advantage if done correctly. By following the tips we've shared, your video will look professional. The process of creating a video resume might feel unfamiliar, but with uhired, it becomes much easier and more intuitive. The first step is up to you.