Viewinterviews.com Video Resume Guide
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Forward
The need for qualified workers is vast and numerous, yet employers are not willing to just hire anyone.
They require people with skills who will become an added benefit to their organization through the
utilization of those skills.
Before a person can take advantage of the opportunities which are available within any labour market,
they must possess the ability to know how to properly communicate who they are and the skills they
possess. From understanding this, they are better prepared to communicate to an employer the how
and the why they would bring value to the employer they are communicating with.
For years many professions in the visual arts have recognized the power a visual presentation can bring
to demonstrating the skill and professionalism one possess. Designers, Actors, Dancers, to name a few,
have relied on the visual in effectively presenting themselves to employers for the purpose of obtaining
employment. Other individuals who count on a visual presentation to help obtain a job know that videos
can replace an actual physical performance such as an employment interview.
Competition for the best jobs has always been intense and innovation has always been the key in
helping job seekers to get in the door. A video resume is that innovative tool that can get you face-toface with that employer far faster than your print resume can in many instances. Plus, if you can't make
it across the country or overseas for a face-to-face interview, a video resume can help bring your face to
the employer. If you want to make a video resume and join the next generation of job seekers, this
guide will help to make your visual reference stand out against all other videos.
This is the purpose of this guide book. It has been designed to take you through all the steps which a job
seeker needs to take in order to develop a professional visual presentation of their skills and abilities
and create a strong 1st impression to employers every time they contact them.
WELCOME TO THE VIEWINTERVIEWS.COM VIDEO RESUME GUIDE 2009 EDITION!!
The video interview is a priceless distance-reduction tool that will bring you closer to a company located
anywhere in the world. The video serves as a get-acquainted step that allows you complete control over
how people will view you the 1st time they see you. Additionally, you might discover that you'll learn
more about how you present yourself through this process than through any other means.
This guidebook has been designed to take you through a step by step process for creating a professional
video resume. The guidebook can be used by individuals working at their own pace, and can also be
used in a facilitated workshop situation. By the time the reader completes this guide book they will
have developed the ability to set up the environment for creating a professional video resume, create a
script, record their video and upload it to the viewinterviews.com website. Finally the video resume will
be further evaluated and developed by viewinterviews.com staff in order to meet the goal of having a
professional quality video resume which effectively demonstrates to an employer the potential
contribution the job seeker will make to the employer who views their video resume.
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Acknowledgement
The viewinterviews.com video resume preparation guide was developed as a result of an expressed
need for support from busy professionals attempting to create a professional video résumé.
This guide was created with the input of a group of outstanding professionals who work with Life Long
Ed from a variety of backgrounds inclusive of labour market analysts, human resource specialists, and
job club facilitators.
Through our team’s efforts, the consensus was that this guide should be direct and to the point in terms
of its approach and should easily become personalized by the reader. It will serve as an instructional
guide as well as a professional assessment and evaluation tool. In a sense, it really is a “do it yourself
guide” The team has stressed that this guide should be completed in conjunction with support from an
objective party in order to allow for feedback and assistance. This will become invaluable to the reader
going through this process. It is for this reason that the team highly recommends that the user of this
guide completes it under with the support of a job search coach or job club facilitator.
Over the years many employers, organizations and professionals have provided advise, assistance and
encouragement. With their help, Life Long Ed has been able to maintain a high quality, up-to-date
publication that continues to meet the needs of job seekers from around the world. Their contributions
are acknowledged with appreciation.
Produced by Life Long Ed
Copyright 2009 by LLE Educational Services Ltd.
Reprinted 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
This book is meant to be part of the user’s personal use for employment preparation. All rights reserved. The reproduction or
utilization of any portion of this text in any form or by any other electronic, mechanical means is forbidden without written
permission of the publisher.
Life Long Ed
2210 Dawes Hill Road Coquitlam BC Canada V3K 1N3
Tel: 1-866-937-5232 Fax: 1 -604-648-9361
Email: info@lifelonged.ca Website: www.lifelonged.ca / www.viewinterviews.com
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Table of Contents
The gateway to success – and the world’s access to upload your video – can be
found at www.viewinterviews.com
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Setting up for the Creation of a Video Resume
Equipment……………………...........................................................
7
Video production………………..……………......................................
7
Light Source…………………...........................................................
8
Your Camera Parts and Features…………………............................
8
Tips to Help You Prepare a Video Resume.................................
9
Communicating: Preparing Your Script
Preparing the Script………………………….........................................
12
Prepare to Talk ………...……………………….......................................
13-14
Presentation Notes
Preparation…….............................................................................
16
Style…………………………….…………………………………….........................
17
Post Video Resume Checklist.......................................................
17
Time……………………………………………………………………….....................
18
Publishing the Video Resume to the Web
When Your Video is ready to Publish..........................................
20
Appendix
Key Resources................................................................................................................
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CHAPTER ONE
SETTING UP FOR THE CREATION OF A VIDEO RESUME
EQUIPTMENT
All you will need is the following equipment in order to create your video resume
Computer – To store your video resume in digital form
Video recording devise which can create a video in digital form – standard video camera
Internet connection
Account # with viewinterviews.com – In order to upload your video resume
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Basically, if you want a stable, smooth shot, use a tripod whenever possible. If you do not have a tripod;
invent one such as placing the video camera on a desk or piece of furniture which places the camera
lens at eye level while you are seated in front of the camera.
Proper set up
Use a wide footprint (the legs of the tripod should be as far apart as possible for the height you
want it set at).
Extend the legs of the tripod out the distance needed to reach the appropriate height.
Turn the crank until the camera lens is level or even with the subject’s eye level. (Remember the
subject is you)
Placement of yourself and the camera
Place the camera on a tripod generally between 1.5 and 2.5 meters (5 and 8 feet) in front of
where you will be sitting.
You should be sitting while taping your video resume. Generally speaking, the best positioning
will be behind a desk or sitting in a chair in front of the camera. (Choose the position which is
most comfortable for you.)
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A large percentage of human communication is non-verbal, so be aware of what your body
language is telling employers about you! Try not to fold your arms across your chest or have
your hands on your hips.
While it's OK to use your hands to accentuate, watch out for unnecessary movements. Be
conscious about spinning your chair back and forth or bobbing your head from side to side. Keep
your arms and hands by your side or crossed behind you unless you're using them to drive home
an important point.
Make sure there is nothing distracting behind you. The best thing to have behind you is a blank
wall. Black, white, or blue are the best colors. They are fairly neutral and will emphasis your
attire.
Your video will include some background that's visible in the shot. Make sure it's not something
like a cluttered desk, or a dirty or damaged wall. Try standing against a relatively bare wall, or
sitting in a neatly organized office. You want Employers to focus on you and your message, not
to be distracted by what's behind you
Good Video Resume Backgrounds Around the House include:
1. Home office: Sit at your clean, uncluttered desk with your laptop. Show your tools.
2. Study/Den: Make sure there are a few books in the background.
3. On the couch: It makes you more seem more relaxed.
4. Wall with framed art and greenery: Neutral and professional
Light Sources
The camera should be set up where the major light source is in back of the camera. This
orientation will minimize overexposure due to backlighting. Artificial lighting will give you more
control over light so try to produce the video in a room that does not have any windows.
You’re Camera Parts & Features
The following are standard or basic features on any camera.
Battery Pack - power source. Make certain you charge them!
AC Adapter - power source. Use this power source over the battery pack whenever possible.
View Finder - A small eyepiece or screen on the camera that allows you to see the image you're
recording. (The camera also acts as a VCR, so you can play back and watch what you have
already recorded through the view finder).
Zoom – This feature allows you to gradually zoom in for close ups and zoom out for wide angle
shots by pressing the “T” or “W”. This camera has a special two speed power zoom. By pressing
the “T” or “W” lightly this will allow you to zoom in and out slowly. For quicker zooms press
normally. You will want to set the zoom so the focus person (yourself) is seen from the mid
chest up to the head. You should appear centered in the viewfinder.
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Focus - There are two positions for focus - auto and manual. When you focus
in "manual", you control the focus with the focus wheel. To make sure your shots
are in focus, zoom in and focus up close first, then zoom back. (It’s a good idea to ask a friend
to sit in your spot while you adjust for shooting your video. This insures that
what you are shooting is focused to the greatest extent possible. Manual focus is
good to use when there is a lot of movement of dominant figures. When the
camera is in "auto focus" it will automatically focus on the dominant figure in the
center of the view finder. Because it focuses automatically on the dominant
figure, it will adjust to whatever becomes dominant. For example, if you are
focused on a person several feet away, and someone walks in between the
camera and the other person, the camera will adjust to focus on the new
dominant figure - the person who walked in front of the camera.
Fade - a gradual increase or decrease of the image and sound. You can fade an
image to black, or do the reverse.
Frame - a single, complete video image that lasts 1/30th of a second. There are
30 frames in a second. If your camera or editing system can measure frames,
you can use this as a counter to log your video tape.
Date/Clock - generally much easier than setting your VCR! This will show the
date and time - sometimes the date and time will not only appear through the
view finder, but also on the video (which you may not want).
Backlight – Use this feature if the main subject is darker then the surrounding
scene.
Tally Light – This is a recording indicator light. When lit it will let anyone in front
of the camera see that it is recording
Your shot angle is the level from which you look at your subject.
Eye-level angle - One of the most commonly used shots is the eye-level shot.
Why? Because it's the perspective most familiar to us - we usually see things from
our own eye-level. This angle also causes the least discomfort because we're used
to it. Make sure you shoot your video at your eye-level when taping your video resume.
Tips to Help You Prepare a Professional Video Resume:
Dress professionally in business attire, just as if you were going to an in-person interview.
Keep your video resume short: one - two minutes.
Look at the camera not at the desk or table below you.
Don't speak too fast.
Make sure there isn't any background noise and that the wall behind you isn't too busy.
Practice what you're going to say ahead of time.
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Start by mentioning your name (first and last).
Focus on your professional endeavours, not your personal ones.
Discuss why you would be a good employee and what you can do for the company that hires
you.
Thank the viewer for considering you for employment.
In the following chapters we will uncover how best to say what you would like to say to an employer,
how best to evaluate what you have said and how to publish your video resume to viewinterviews.com.
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NOTES
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CHAPTER TWO
COMMUNICATING: PREPARING YOUR SCRIPT
Before anyone will consider hiring, you they will need to know about YOU and the SKILLS you possess.
The more effective you are at communicating both of these qualities, the easier it will be for the
employer to make an informed decision about your potential contribution to their company. Think
about how you want to portray your skills. This process is called "pre-production," and it includes
scripting your video so that when you shoot the video you will know exactly what you want to say so you
can focus on how you’re going to say it.
Preparing the script
A well Witten resume and cover letter will get employers interested in wanting to speak with you about
the possibility of working with them. It’s important to remember that the minute you start talking to an
employer you are being interviewed.
When talking to an employer you must get ready to create the image of someone they will surely want
to hire above all other job applicants. In most cases they will have read your resume and cover letter
you sent in, but that only gave them the desire to want to speak with you. Basically, this means they
believe you are qualified to do the job. A video resume will be your opportunity to give them a reason to
believe that not only are you qualified but are the right fit for their organization. As you know,
interviewers will often rely heavily on their first impressions, to the extent that an eventual interview
becomes merely a confirmation of that first impression, either good or bad. So if self-introduction is
your key to interview success, the first and most important aim is to create a positive first impression.
The goal of your video resume is to complete this objective.
The way to create a favourable first impression is to be sure you appear to sound confident and open
during the video presentation. The more prepared you are the easier it will be for you to meet this task.
Preparing a video resume starts with getting organized with your information about yourself and
knowing what you’re going to say to any employer. Many people feel apprehensive about this because
they really don’t know and are unsure as to what information the employer wants to hear about you.
The reality is there are potentially 1000’s of questions an employer could ask you in an interview and to
try and predict what any one employer may want to know about you would not be a good way to
prepare a video resume. Instead, you should think about the information the employer would need to
know about you in order for them to make an informed decision about your potential contribution to
their company. This will help you consider how you may script your presentation.
The following script preparation template has been designed to help you develop an effective
methodology for preparing your script for your video resume. As previously mentioned, it would be
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ineffective for you to try and guess what particular information any one employer may want to know. It
is better for you to organize the information about yourself around the type of information an employer
would generally be looking to find out about you. The following template includes information
employers tend to look for about potential candidates when trying to make a determination about their
suitability for employment with them. Take your time in answering this preparing a video resume script.
When completed, you will have created an excellent template for creating a strong resume video.
Be prepared to talk about the following:
1. Be prepared to talk about your personal history
(HINTS)
Provide a brief self introduction about who you are, your professional background and why you
have chosen the occupation you are in. Because self-introduction is your key to interview
success, you must have previously prepared exactly what you are going to say. This is not some
lengthy story about your life, but a short focused statement that sounds interesting to the
listener
2. Be prepared to talk about your good qualities
(HINTS)
Describe any relevant skills or experiences. Also describe any relevant personal qualities while
trying not to exaggerate or compare yourself to others.
3. Be prepared to talk about work-related pressure
(HINT)
State your ability to work under pressure and be able to explain how you do it by providing
examples from past experiences. Express you willingness to work under pressure and if at all
possible, try to connect this to the position you are interviewing for. If past employers, coworkers or customers/clients have commented on your abilities in this area be sure to mention
it.
4. Be prepared to talk about related education and experience
(HINT)
Make sure you describe your education and training as it is relevant to your occupation and the
position you are applying for.
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5. Be prepared to talk about future plans and goals.
(HINT)
The key here is to make sure you have goals. Always present your goals in terms of
accomplishment. What we mean is to state your goals in terms of what you have done and are
currently doing which is consistent with where your want to be in the future in terms of your
career. Describe the compatibility between your goals and the job you are applying for and
always describe your interest in gaining experience.
6. Be prepared to discuss salary expectations
(HINT)
Employers may want to have an answer to this question. This is a very important question as it
will give the employer a better understanding as to what some of your expectation are about
the job in terms of the market place. When talking about salary it’s important to discuss it in a
way that shows you have clear expectations about the job and are a flexible person with respect
to negotiating an offer of employment should an eventual interview achieve this result. You
should always state a salary range when answering this question. If you are unsure of the range,
it can be found out via good research. Finally always state you are flexible within the range as
this will show that you are flexible and reasonable.
7. Be prepared to talk about any personal liabilities.
(HINT)
Make sure that you state that you have no major weaknesses, yet still be honest and straight
forward when talking. Do not be frivols when talking about something about yourself that you
are working on. Speak with a well thought out and reasoned assessment of an area of weakness
in which you are diligently working on improving. Briefly describe how you are working on that
area and note any improvements that you made.
When preparing your script, make sure you write down what you want to say. Before you create your
video resume the words need to be created. Once you have the words take some time to practise. Sit in
front of a mirror and test yourself. Time the length of your presentation so you will know how long it will
take. Remember it should not exceed 2 minutes. Have a friend, colleague or job search coach listen to
you. If you’re in a job club, practise with another participant. The key here is to develop comfort and
familiarity with what you are going to say on the video resume. The more at ease you become with this,
the stronger the impression you will make once you record the video resume.
Once you feel very comfortable and the words appear to come out with ease it will be time to record
your video. The next chapter will deal with some additional tips to consider as you prepare to make your
video resume.
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NOTES
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CHAPTER THREE
PRESENTATION NOTES
Video Resumes are all about impressions and the key to a good video resume is to make a good first
impression and to keep making a good impression as the presentation progresses. Keeping this in mind
it is essential that you make a solid final impression as the presentation winds down to an end. The best
way to do this is to follow the following sequence.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be sure to quickly summarize your key qualifications.
State an interest in the job.
State an appreciation for the employers time in viewing your video resume
State an interest in hearing from the employer
State to the employer that you have references who will attest to your professionalism and skills
Ending the presentation in this way will demonstrate that you are a professional. This is the best way to
leave a lasting and memorable impression with the employer.
The way you outline your approach to the video resume, in particular the way you speak, tells the
employer whether you are confident in your abilities so you must rehearse it well, but don't try to be
what you are clearly not - you'll only be found out at a later date. Write down your script and take some
time to rehearse it and memorize what you are going to say when you record the video resume. Get a
friend to listen to you address the 7 areas previously mentioned with a critical ear. If it sounds false it
will set the alarm bells ringing with the employer who will detect that it is not the real you and destroy
the rapport you were building up. Practice speaking faster or more slowly, louder or quietly and try to
vary it throughout. Employers tend to respond best to speakers that come across as conversational. A
nice conversational approach will establish comfort with the employer which will enhance their overall
impression of you.
Prepared well, your video resume is your key to success because it helps to create that all-important
first impression, helps you to build the rapport with the employer and satisfies the questions about
whether you are the sort of person who will fit in to the organization successfully.
As a reference point you can review televised political commercials. None of these commercials are over
60 seconds long, yet the political candidate hopes to get his/her point across succinctly within that time
frame. Look closely at that politician's surroundings. Is the candidate in an office? Is he or she walking
outdoors alone or with another person? Or, is that individual talking to a group of people? In all cases,
the candidate hopes to portray his/her skills or their potential as a leader who is seen in a positive light or, at least in a better light than his or her opposition.
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Style
Think of your video resume as your portfolio, where your skills shine above and beyond your resume.
You will want appear professional and confident and the video resume should not be longer than two
minutes as your do not want to take up too much of the employers time at this stage. Thus by creating a
written script and then through practice and memorization you will achieve this outcome. You will want
to memorize your script as you do not want to read off of a page while trying to create a positive
confident and professional impression to an employer.
Once you have created your video you will want to evaluate whether it presents you in the best light.
You can use the following checklist in order to gain a sense as to whether your presentation is the best it
can be:
Post Video Resume checklist
Items
Yes
Did I give full responses from the 7 focus areas
_____
Did I speak in complete sentences
_____
Did I use proper grammar
_____
Was I dressed professionally
_____
Was I sitting up straight while taking
_____
Did I look directly into the camera
_____
Did I sound conversational
_____
Was the area where I was speaking in absent of background noises
_____
Was there enough light in the room where I was speaking
_____
Was I smiling
_____
Did I sound knowledgeable and confident
_____
Did I show an interest in the job
_____
Did I thank the interviewer for their time
_____
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Did I tell them to contact my references
_____
Did I get an objective opinion on this presentation
_____
Use this checklist before you publish your video resume to the website as it will help in getting you to
focus on the skills which will be required of you in connecting with an employer and convincing them
that you would be a good fit for their organization. In addition, try to get someone else to view your
presentation and fill in the checklist also. A second opinion can be very helpful to you in getting a sense
for how others may respond to your presentation. Be open to ideas others whose opinion you trust may
have about how you can improve your video resume. If you hire help in producing your video, spend as
much time as you can prepare on your own so as to save you money in the process. The key here is to
make your script, practise and memorize what you want to say and then start to make your video. You’ll
find that you can do a great job!
Time
As I mentioned previously, a political candidate can get a message across in 60 seconds. You don't want
to bore your potential employer with your video. You want to generate curiosity so that you create a
good first impression. Don't go beyond two minutes with this video, and a one- two-minute video will
say everything you need to say without taking up too much of a potential employer's time.
The next step is to film your presentation and upload it to viewinterviews.com. The next chapter will
take your through these final and important steps to publishing your video resume to the web.
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CHAPTER FOUR
PUBLISHING THE VIDEO RESUME TO THE WEB
When your video is ready to be published on the site follow these steps
1.
Visit www.viewinterviews.com and create your account.
2.
Once you have created your account, viewinterviews.com will send you a confirmation email
detailing your account information and log in details.
3.
When you are ready to upload your video resume return to the viewinterviews.com site and log
in with your account details.
4.
5.
Once you log in, go to the job seekers tab and choose upload videos.
Choose a video file from the browse tab and find your video stored on your computer.
Remember only certain video formats can be uploaded to this site so make sure you have the right
type of file.
6.
Click the 'Upload Video Interview' button.
7.
It will take several minutes to upload your video to the site. Please be patient.
8.
When your video is saved and completed uploading you will be sent a confirmation. The
confirmation will contain your “Video Tag Address” this is the link which will go on your resume and
cover letter so as to direct employers to your video resume.
9.
Employers will be able to click on the link which will be on your communications materials for
employers and they will have direct access to your video resume and will be able to access the video
from their computers.
Congratulations you have just taken yourself to the next level of job searching for the 21st century.
Please remember that we will be here to support you in this endeavour. All participants of
viewinterviews.com will have the opportunity to have their video resume reviewed prior to being
published by a professional job club facilitator so as to ensure the video resume achieve its intended
purpose. If you have not begun, please start, we’ll work with you to its successful conclusion.
Good Luck and get ready for the success you’re ready to earn.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
You can gather more information about making a video resume from the websites.
Check out the list of the best websites which offer video resume tips:
Micheal Spafferty’s video resume
http://unemploymentality.com/2009/03/recession-job-hunting-michael-spaffertys-video-resume/
Global Learning – The video resume
http://www.glresources.com/332.html
Learnhub – Tips for your video CV
http://landing-the-job.learnhub.com/lesson/8233-tips-for-your-video-cv
Suite 101 – making a video resume
http://writing-resumes.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_video_resumes
Video Resumes – The Hot New Job Search Tool
http://hubpages.com/hub/VideoResume
Video Resume – Who is Watching?
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/188146/writing_resumes/video_resume___who_is_watc
hing.html
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