The “Art” of the video resume
TEFList will be expanding and promoting the use of the video resume. See examples in our main play player and on our Youtube channel. For both teachers AND employers. It is a win-win situation and gives each party more information from which to make life turning decisions.
Yet, there are pitfalls! The video resume got a bad start with Aleksey Vayner who applied to UBS with clips of his inflated athletic prowess. Here’s another video resume – my question, would you hire this guy?
A video resume, especially for a teaching job, offers you a great opportunity to show who you are. Many might think Alex is over the top, however, he really does get his point across and shows his creativity and initiative. Most importantly, he does it in a tactful way. So show off but just a little. Stick to the fundamentals employers want to see — eye contact, sincerity, language skills, your experiences and why you are the person for the job. But a little flair like Alex, tastefully done will work too.
Now get making your resume today! Possibility awaits.
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7 Comments
There are some pretty good video resume tips in the resource center of this web site:
http://CNVideoResumes.com
They also offer an interactive video workshop that covers the important topics like video resume style, confident body language, language skills, and how to put your best face forward on video.
Samantha,
I’m checking it out! Thanks for letting us know and these kinds of tips can really help teachers making an introductory video!
Cheers,
David
Hmm problem with video resumes is that they are time-consuming – an experienced recruiter can glance through a paper resume very quickly, pick out key points, and decide whether to move on to the interview stage. Watching video resumes takes more time, even if they are only 3 mins long. And you still need to look at the paper resume.
Evan,
Good points and they are valid. But I really think that a video resume does something that a paper resume never could – it provides “persona” and information about those indelible qualities that make the difference between a “qualified” applicant and a great applicant.
Also, I think that we are still going through a bit of a generational shift. People hiring aren’t too digitally minded or wired. But as HR fills with a newer generation, you’ll see a lot more acceptance of video resumes.
In TESOL and English teaching jobs, it is almost impossible in many cases to have a “face to face” initially. And conference interviews take a lot of time. With the vast geographical distances, video resumes really give employers a better chance of spending their valuable money/time wisely. That’s why I made video a big part of TEFList and see it as the future of hiring practices in our profession.
Thanks for dropping by.
Hi David
Yes good points. I guess as always it depends on the context you’re working in. If you’re flying people in for interviews, or recruiting by distance without initial interviews, then video resumes make a lot of sense.
I recently created a video resume and upload it on mycareeri.com and had great success. The service I personally used was After uploading my video resume, I started receiving several calls a week from employers who had seen my resume and were interested in my qualifications. I highly recommend everyone searching for a new job create a video resume. They really work.
Good to know. This is coming to the English teaching world too!