Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Video Resumes in a Down Economy - Risks vs. Rewards

Yesterday, msnbc.com contributor, Eve Tahmincioglu, wrote a piece about creating video resumes to land jobs.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35367030/ns/business-careers//.   She profiled two men who created videos that accompanied more traditional resumes.  One landed a job; the other hasn't landed any interviews.  The man who landed a job shaved his head for a marketing position in a razor company.  Clever.  He thought about his audience and the position. 

Do I generally recommend making a video or, what has become more common, creating a web resume, NO.  You have to know your audience.  Although you may think your idea is clever, that you look great, and that your content sets you apart, prospective employers may not.  But there are some times where the potential reward will outweigh the risk.  Read the entire column if you are thinking about a video resume.   The columnist writes the weekly "Your Career" column for msnbc.com and chronicles workplace issues in her blog, CareerDiva.net.