10 TIPS FOR CREATING A COMPELLING VIDEO RESUME
“If I could just GET A CALL BACK from someone, I know they’d consider me for this job!”
Sound familiar?
The 2025 job market is rough, to say the least. With pre-recession indicators now flagging, and talent pools exploding with volume due to remote or hybrid statuses tempting more and more people to apply, most candidates will tell you that getting a call feels harder than ever.
As a career strategist, I work with about 400 job seekers a year and their sentiments lately –across all levels and professions – have been the same:
Clients: How can I stand out when there are so many qualified people applying? I’ve tried everything...
Me: Have you tried creating a video resume?
Clients: A what? Wait… you can do that?
Of course you can! The old stodgy rules of yesterday are gone. In a market where volume is choking the recruiting process, layoffs are constant, and new job openings are projected to dwindle, standing out is everything. Taking an innovative approach here is nothing new though. (Remember the women who went viral for putting her resume on a cake she sent to Nike? Same idea – just a different approach.) But the number of people who tell me they’ve never even thought about creating a video resume or video cover letter surprises me, so here we are! (To clarify, the video doesn’t replace your resume, they complement it. Hell, it might even get that piece of paper looked at depending on where you share it!)
Now, I know the thought of making a quick video of yourself to send to employers you’ve never met may feel cringe or anxiety-inducing, but I’ve seen first-hand how effective these can be when done well! There are also professional resources that can help you create and edit your video resume for an impressive final product. (SoHo Creative is my personal favorite, and no, this is not a sponsored post. They’re just that good and it doesn’t matter where you’re located. It’s all done virtually!)
So, if you’re up for the challenge and are ready to stand out in a different way, here are a few tips to ensure your video resume is as compelling as possible.
10 TIPS FOR CREATING A COMPELLING VIDEO RESUME:
Attention spans are shorter than ever – keep it to two minutes or less. One minute is even better and increases the chances someone will watch the whole thing.
Don’t read off a script. If you need help remembering talking points, stick Post-its to the back of your laptop by your camera for a quick glance/reminder. I’d rather hear you stumble once or twice speaking in your natural cadence, then have you sound monotone like a robot.
Tool like Loom and iMovie are super helpful and make screen sharing/editing/recording a breeze. You also don’t need any fancy equipment, just a phone or laptop with a decent camera. Plan to re-record it over and over and over again though. The more you engrain your talking points into your brain, the smoother it will flow when you finally nail it. (I always laugh when people see the videos I post on Tik Tok or Instagram and say, “Wow! You’re a natural!” Thanks – that took me 45 takes.)
Make sure your lighting is ideal and check your background. This is providing a first impression. Be cautious of what you’re sharing about yourself unintentionally. For example, while cannabis is legal in many states, you may not want your bong in the shot – unless you’re applying to that industry of course.)
If you’re a soft talker, be sure to project your voice enough to sound confident and clear. Use headphones with a mic or ear pods if you need to (whatever you prefer as long as they cancel out any disruptive noise in the background so nothing steals your spotlight).
If you have pictures or video you’d like to splice in while your audio dubs over it, you can use tools like iMovie or Vimeo, but editing is not necessary. A one to two-minute video without cuts or editing is totally fine, but I’d recommend re-recording it many, many times to smooth out the delivery and hit all the points you want to hit.
Bring some of your skills and talents into the video if you can. Get creative. Do you speak more than one language? Maybe mention that or speak in that language for a second (add subtitles) to really grab their attention.
What to share: Be sure to introduce yourself fully (name, location, what kind of roles you’re looking for, if you’re willing to go on site at all or travel, etc.). Someone may see this before ever seeing your resume so don’t bury the lead, so to speak. If you’re applying to a specific role and are making more of a video cover letter, be sure to mention the company by name along with the specific job title - the same way you would in an actual cover letter. (Use the job description as a guide. Speak to it.)
If you are a Creative and have a background or skillset that is very visual, I highly recommend showcasing some of that in the video. Get creative with how you do it, but definitely do it. (iMovie is your friend here. Splice in imagery where you can.)
Perfection is not what people are looking for here, honestly. People want to vibe with who they’re going to work 40+ hours a week with. Try and bring your sense of humor or personality into in a way that feels authentic and be aware of your body language. Try to remain “expressive” (smile, laugh, etc.) while speaking if it’s appropriate. I know it’s hard to engage when it’s just you and a camera, but remember – a person who is looking for their new work bestie, their new top performer, or their new colleague, will be eager to get a real sense of who you are and how your personality will mesh with the rest of the culture or team there. As cliché as it sounds, be yourself.
BONUS: Here is an example from one of my former UNH students, Pinar. She gave me permission to share this and has since landed an incredible job post-college. In the 6 years I’ve been teaching my college-to-career course at UNH’s business school, this is the best video resume I’ve ever seen from a student! Chef’s kiss. Pinar does an incredible job of weaving in ALL of the elements above, including her multi-lingual flex around the 2.07 mark. (My favorite part is at 3.17. Brilliant!) Please note: It’s about 2 minutes longer I’d advise now, but I didn’t give them length parameters when I assigned it so … fair game.
As always, there is no silver bullet solution when job hunting, because there are only so many variables we can control. In a saturated pool of resumes though, be the candidate who comes to life for them! In the 17 years I’ve been in the employment sector, I’ve never seen a hiring manager dock points for creativity, innovation, or initiative – quite the opposite.
A few FAQs:
How and where to share your video resume?
Once you have created your video, you can share it to your LinkedIn network for others to share (if you’re publicly searching of course), and/or you can link it to the top of your resume. You can also share the link confidentially with someone right through LinkedIn Messenger or email of course. Just remember that where you plan on sharing your video may dictate what you want to share or not share when you’re recording it.
What about discrimination?
This is a common question but the way we show up online now is VERY different then even 15 years ago. If you have a headshot on your LinkedIn profile for example, people will already know what you look like. If someone is a short-sighted dirt bag who makes hiring decisions based on looks, race, or any other physical attribute, be glad they’re not wasting your time by bringing you in for an actual interview and then hitting you with the, “sorry, we went with someone else.” Stand in your power, be yourself, and bring it. There are plenty of amazing managers/recruiters out there who don’t hire with a discriminatory lens.
Need help?
If you have a video resume that you’d like to discuss before sending it out, you can schedule a 30-min review session. We can connect over Zoom, and I’ll provide feedback and suggestions to ensure you feel great about what you’re sharing!