At the Field, we have great flexible resume options so you can show employers who you are in the way that best works for you. We know everyone has different preferences, even when it comes to their resume style. A video resume on the Field is a new way of presenting yourself to an employer. Many people won’t have done a video resume before, so we’ve put together some tips to help you nail your video resume, and create a great first impression.
First impressions count
It’s important to make a good impression as soon as you can in your video resume. Unlike a written resume, hiring managers can’t quickly scan a document to see if you’re a good fit for the job. Therefore, it’s important to make the first five to ten seconds count.
A great place to start is by presenting yourself professionally. Take time to think about what you’re wearing, and where you’re going to film yourself. Remember, your clothes and where you film will say a lot about you and will impact an employer’s first impression. Keep your background clean and simple, and avoid having clutter behind you. Choose clothes that show your personality, while being suitable for a work environment – as a general rule, if you would wear your outfit into the workplace you’re applying for, it should be fine for your video resume.
When deciding what to say, start by introducing yourself and mention which job you’re applying for. Hiring managers often accept resumes for multiple jobs at the same time, so this will help make sure your resume gets to the right person. From there, a job description for the job you want is your best guide. If you’re tailoring your resume to a specific job, look for the role’s responsibilities and skills. If you’re creating a more general resume, have a look at a few different job descriptions you might be interested in and use them to guide you.
Keep it short and to the point
Hiring managers often have a lot of resumes to go over in a short period of time. Keeping your resume concise will help make sure you get your key points across and keep the hiring manager’s attention. When it comes to resumes, hiring managers may only spend 30 seconds reviewing your experience, so make sure you have some really clear points to include early on.
Keep the video no longer than 2 minutes as this will allow you to include enough information without being too long. Try practicing before you film, so you know whether you can keep within the time limit. We have some tips about how to be more confident on camera.
To help you stay on track, plan exactly what you would like to say. A plan for a video resume might be the following:
- Introduce yourself
- Outline 3 to 5 skills you can bring to the job
(Be sure to check the job description to find out what required and desirable skills this job needs)
- Talk about 3 previous jobs, experiences or achievements you’ve had, and the skills/lessons you learnt here that you can bring to this job
(If you have more than 3, go back to the job description and see which ones are most relevant) - Mention why you think that you’ll be a good fit for this job and the organisation.
Video quality
Set yourself up
Have you ever seen a video online and the quality was so bad that you just scrolled past? Well having a good quality video is important so that hiring managers don’t scroll past your video resume.
Now we’re not saying that you need a professional camera. The camera on your phone is perfectly fine. Most smartphones will also have professional settings if you would like a particular focus or shot. For video resumes on the Field, we recommend filming in landscape orientation rather than portrait. It works best with our application format and will fill the full video frame.
So that you’re not looking up or down at the camera, try using books, tins or a phone stand if you have one, to prop your phone up to eye level. You may also wish to sit or stand close to the camera so you don’t have to shout to be heard and so the hiring manager can see you clearly.
Think about where you’re filming
Now that you’ve got your camera set up, have a think about the environment around you. Is it nice and quiet so that you can be heard clearly? The Field will automatically caption your videos when you upload them, so this will help make sure your captions are accurate. Is there enough natural light so the person watching the video can see you? Does the background look messy or is it nice and neat? You don’t want anything that’s going to distract you or the person watching the video.
Note: If you watch your video back once captions have been added by the Field and they aren’t correct, get in touch with Customer Support team (support@thefield.jobs) and they’ll fix them up.
Finish with a bang
Lastly, you want to finish with something that will leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager, so that they can’t stop thinking about your application. Finish by answering a question like “why do you think that you’ll be a good fit for this job”? This not only enables you to demonstrate that you’ve done your research on the company, but it also gives you an opportunity to restate your greatest strengths.
Here you can also really customise the video resume to the job. For example, if you’re applying to work in the music industry, you may end the video with a snippet of your favourite song, or if you’re applying for a job in the agriculture industry, you may show a video of a gardening project you’ve been working on.
Remember that a video resume doesn’t have to be all “talking to the camera” videos. You can include other video snippets – whatever feels right to you. Before doing so, just ask yourself, is this adding value to my application? What skills or experience is it demonstrating to the hiring manager? Is it professional?
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You can also check out some of our other great blogs, with great job seeker tips:
