Video CV

Dawn Siff Job Search

Twesume and the Vine CV

The #twesume and how to condense your Resume or CV into 140 characters or less has been doing the rounds for quite a while but seems to be gathering a head of steam again. For those of you that have not climbed aboard the twitter band waggon, the twesume is a way of using twitter to promote your cv by describing yourself in an interesting way abbreviated to 140 characters.

The more savvy twitter users are putting a link to an actual CV in the tweet, and those that are really on the pulse of social media are going one step further with the incorporation of a Vine video (Vine is available on the iPhone App Store. A vine video is a 6 second looping video that can be posted to the network, and it has quite a creative feel with people using animation and stop motion to condense what would otherwise be a clip longer than 6 seconds. Some have used it to give their #twesume another dimension such as what is claimed to be the worlds first Vine Resume/CV by the journalist Dawn Siff:
[iframe src=”http://vine.co/v/b6wxtwrwP7P/embed/postcard” width=”325px” height=”340″]

The bottom line according to Dawn is that the Vine Resume did not get her the job it came down to good old fashioned networking and a referral from a friend. However, the employer was impressed with the video which was introduced by Dawn when the opportunity arose. Dawn produced an infographic to explain how she approached her job search and the effort that she put in. Personally, I think the most telling aspect is the date stamp at the top and how long it took her to secure a position: 6 months and 4 days.

[image source_type=”url” source_title=”Dawn Siff Infographic” source_value=”http://25.media.tumblr.com/b03342119a347c85837fd39b861d2075/tumblr_mkwsvtVHjD1rmvt01o1_1280.png” autoHeight=”true”]

CV Takeaway:
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  • A Professional CV or Resume will create an opportunity
  • Networking is still a major key to finding employment
  • Being creative with your approach can help you secure a role
  • Sometimes, it does not happen overnight

[/list]

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Video CV

Video CV

I have been musing about the Video CV for about a fortnight now. Having just watched Max Headroom on YouTube it struck me that we have been living in the world of Max for quite a while. Yet it seemed incomplete, a vision only partly rendered?

I’m going to make a bold(ish) prediction that the uptake in requirement for a Video CV is on a definite upward trend, gaining enough momentum that along with the Video Interview everyone in a position of value needs to ready themselves for the camera and evolution of Job Applications. Last night at the Oscars, Daniel Day-Lewis picked up the 2013 Oscar Best Actor Award for Lincoln and I think we need to start taking some notes on how to win something elusive, three times by representing ourselves as something we are not!

But what has made me consider this is now an option? Cost. It’s a simple balance sheet issue; save money and get the candidates to submit a Video CV. An agency can then sift through the responses and create a shortlist with client access. Saves time, resources and controls how long each person can talk for ie if they ramble on (4 page CV or longer) the recruiter can just consign them to the also rans and with no emotional attachment.

Quite a few candidates will baulk at the idea (Last of the Baby Boomers, Generation X and Luddites) but Generation Y will be more comfortable with a Video CV, but may lack the gravitas, required experience or both to convince the viewer and this will follow a similar pattern to the current predicament they face with a traditional CV.

What was once a simple idea that lacked the technology and infrastructure to make it possible is now a cost saving, functioning and easily accessible way to condense a process.

Are you sitting; uncomfortably?

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