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With the job market being so competitive, those looking for work are doing whatever they can to help themselves stand out in a crowd, and many are using the advantages technology can provide. 

More job hunters are using social media, blogs and video resumes.

So, if you are an employer, how do you handle such things as video resumes? What do you do? The first thing is to realize that video resumes can actually be more helpful to you as an employer than a traditional resume. It allows you to see the candidate, to observe how the person handles himself or herself, the impression he or she makes, and how articulate the person is.

In evaluating a video resume, you need to remember that they should not be very long, about one to two minutes is the ideal time, according to career expert Heather Huhman.. If the video runs longer, it should serve as a warning. It may mean that the candidate cannot express himself or herself succinctly enough, or that he cannot organize his presentation and cannot weed out the important from the unimportant.

Video resumes also offer candidates the opportunity to get a little more creative. If you are an employer, you shouldn’t dismiss these creative efforts out of hand as unprofessional. It will give you an opportunity to see how creative the candidate is, which would be especially important if that is a qualification for the job.

However, there is a difference between creativity and a presentation that veers off into inappropriate humor or visual content or even too much personal information. This is usually something that should disqualify a candidate, Huhman says.

And, just as with a paper resume, where you as an employer are looking for a professional presentation– quality paper and layout, no spelling or grammatical errors – you should look for the same professional presentation in the video resume. The video should have good lighting and background. The candidate should be dressed professionally. It does not have to look like a commercial or have the production values of one, but the candidate should have made an effort to make it look as professional and tasteful as possible.

Also, if a candidate didn’t come across that well in the video, but their qualifications are impressive, there is no need to disqualify them immediately. Not everyone comes across well on video, and that needs to be taken into account as well.

If you are looking for qualified professionals in the New York City area, Winston Resources can help you find the talent you need. Contact us today.


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