Audio and Video Resumes - The Future In Hiring?

By Randi S. Lewis

Those of you looking for employment know that you need an electronic version of your resume to email or send online.  In the year 2011, businesses more often prefer to receive resumes electronically rather than through the mail.  For the most part, therefore, you don't need to buy expensive resume paper.  Everything is communicated and stored electronically.

More recently, businesses are promoting both audio and video resume packages.  I have no data at the moment in regard to the number businesses or recruiters who are testing these new services.  I have no personal experience with these services and therefore I cannot speak to their benefits.  I still provide the traditional resume and interview services but I thought you might want to learn more about new technology. 

Talent Rooster, a video resume service, promotes its benefits to employers by asserting that "[b]ecause video resumes give hiring managers the ability to see candidates before bringing them in for an interview, a potential employee who may not look good on paper can shine with TalentRooster."  (See http://www.talentrooster.com/benefits-of-video-resumes-for-recruiters.)  Some career networking sites have a section that permits you to include a video.

Entrepreneur, Bradford Peterson, developer of the Audio Job Interview iPhone App, says his product "allows job candidates to create an actual audio interview they can record from their mobile device and send via a unique URL to employers. No other app we are aware of does this. We are already one the more popular apps in the Business category and the feedback we are getting from job seekers is more than gratifying."

Below are the links for more information about the Audio Job Interview iPhone App: 

Video Demo on the product in use: (Facebook) - http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=342809865471

A brief sample interview Bradford recorded of what employers see and hear:  http://uttr.net/node/1%26uid=B0C939AD61AF99A7D3807ACA69FF3BA9F22ECB03%26profileid=3

Professional Video Demo:  http://www.vimeo.com/9980929



There are risks inherent in promoting yourself via an audio or video resume, however.  Search on Google for pros and cons. 

I am interested in learning anecdotally whether anyone has had experience with these types of employment screening methods.  If so, let me know your thoughts by emailing me at rlewis@resumeboutique.com or by commenting on this post.  Thank you, Randi Lewis