In chatting with an IT recruiter this morning, I asked him about video resumes and what he thought about their use and value. This was prompted by an article from Workopolis.com – A Picture Says a Thousand Words, Video Says a lot More . The recruiter I spoke with thought it was a good idea and was ‘just around the corner’. He also pointed out some of the downsides…if it didn’t show the candidate in a good light, it would limit their opportunities to go further in the selection process.

When I worked as a hiring manager, I looked at thousands of paper based resumes. When a candidate included a personal web page, I always looked at it and would show it to other members of the hiring committee. I also google’d candidates, but didn’t always take what I saw too seriously. A video resume or even a short profile or answer to a specific question would have been a great tool during the initial screening phase of the hiring process.

As a business owner I certainly believe in and understand the value of marketing and ‘branding’. There is some discussion in the HR world that a job candidate should brand and market themselves as well. This gives them an opportunity to stand out and stand above the other candidates in the resume race. Sometimes a paper based resume dosen’t say it all about a person. There were a few times when after the first round of interviews failed to come up with the perfect candidate, we went back to the pile. The result were two outstanding employees who had been overlooked because their resumes did not do them justice and as a result they were passed over in the first short list.

I’ll ask a few questions here . . . If you’re a hiring manager, a job candidate, a recruiter or placement company, I’d like to hear your answers or opinions on this topic.

• Is there an opportunity to help your employers and job candidates through the use of a video resume or profile?
• Is anyone currently doing this?
• What would a candidate be willing to pay for this?
• What are the legalities?
• Would a blog be of value in ‘marketing’ a candidate?
• Any other thoughts on this?

Dean Owen