What do you say in a Video Resume?

Video resumes, while an interesting idea, are not on my horizon for any reason. I tend to agree they are a security risk and not something I, as a hiring official, am interested in.

Thanks for the great comments! Dennis - nice list of pointers. Nik & Don, thanks for raising the question on security.

I've gotten about a 50% interest rate from HR professionals that I've spoken with, and it tends to be on the extremes where they either love it, or they wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. To me it is simply a form of communication, just like text or audio. Some people are more comfortable with one form of communication over another, just like some people prefer phone calls and others prefer email text. In the end of the day I think it is up to the HR pro, hiring manager or recruiter to tell the candidate which form works for them.

By the way there is no more security risk in opening a video resume than there is in playing a YouTube video or opening an email from someone. However you raise a point that some people may think there is a risk.

I'll leave the question open for a bit longer for further discussion. Thank you again!

A video resume can simply be thought of as a "canned" video conference session. Puzzled why folk think there is a security risk in playing a video. I would have thought it would be a great tool to use especially when folk are long distance and as long they are short and to the point it can be a great way to convey and understand a personality.

Script it to fit the job you are seeking. Rehearse it until it is natural. If you don't have access to a good videographer, shoot it from different angles. You want to look like the guy on the evening news and, by the way, the camera on him is not level with him nor directly in front of him. Keep it short, friendly and informative. Last but not least, indicate in your printed resume that a video is available but don't send it unless it is requested.

For those who don't consider a video a security risk, that's fair enough if you play it in a DVD player.

But if you play it in a computer then it is very possible to embed code inside a video file to exploit your computer with a virus or with spyware etc.

Youtube is not a safe site, and has been linked with the spread of viruses in the past and e-mail is not "safe" either, though if you have a decent anti-virus and only open attachments from trusted sources you'll be OK.

But a resume is not from a trusted source, and as such playing a video from an unknown source inside your network is not a good idea. For those with short memories it wasn't that long ago (pre-Internet) that people sent you a virus on a disk in the post and told you it was useful software in the hopes you'd install the thing.

Accepting a Video Resume or a Resume with a picture attached is a bad idea. Besides the security issue, which from previous answers may or may not be an issue, it is definitely a legal issue especially if you are required to provide a Self-Identify Form to all considered applicants.

For instance, if you are a Federal Contractor and meet a few other requirements you fall under the guidelines of the OFCCP which requires you to provide a Self-ID Form. However, this form MUST NOT be sent to the Hiring Manager and MUST be stored separately from the application or Resume. If you accept a video resume it is impossible to keep this information from the Hiring Manager as they usually will be able to see in the video the person's race, gender, and sometimes religion (i.e. head covering, clothing, facial hair etc.). Until it becomes widely accepted or the government puts out a ruling I would not accept a video resume or one with a picture attached.

Even if you are not required to provide a Self-ID Form you could face a discrimination charge or lawsuit based on the EEOC or an Attorney knowing, especially if you have a homogeneous workforce and the candidate is not part of this group, that you would probably pay a few thousand dollars to settle without accepting guilt instead of a lot more defending yourself.

Interesting comments Noah. I guess your comments high light the litigious nature of the USA culture and a different mindset. In NZ for example it is a common and accepted practice to enclose a photo with a resume,. One of our previous SM clients works in HR with Geneva here in NZ and my daughter happens to be a top IT recruiter for Hudson so I must ask them for their positions from the horse's mouth so to speak.

Neverthless a Marketing Mgre I met with today in a bid to secure a major SM contract had already checked out my biz experience, my various commercial activities and I would assume the multitude of videos I have on line. Speaking with a NZ HR Manager of a US search engine a few weeks ago, she indicated that she would check out the applicants FB and other sites to seek an unofficial perspective of the candidate with public information.

In the HR sector in NZ it is a common and accepted plus legal practice "to google" someone. If the results turn up photos and videos its all part of the mix of data to consider. Slightly off target the former head CEO (an Amercian lady) of Immigration NZ (Government Dept) that handles all immigration to NZ, had her day in court finally last week...she had detailed in her initial resume a number of years back when she was appointed, to having a certain degree from a USA University which was a fabrication. The point of this comment being that tools like Linkedin are almost a first place of call for HR Mgrs downunder and other SM sites. Andy Lark VP of International Marketing at Dell (and a New Zealander) made the public comment that who you are connected to online will tell me your social worth and be the decider if I will meet and entertain your proposal, investment, offer etc. Given that video is becoming of uptmost importance and google searches are outnumbered by Youtube 4:1 I believe that video will be inevitable. I also think that the importance of video resumes will vary according to industry and occupation. Take the couple who are staying with me for a few days. Independent Film makers from Mexico producing a global documentary of 12 Children, 12 Questions, 12 Countries. I would think that video resumes would be crucial for them in attracting distribution channels, engagement, sponsors etc and their next job.

As to the virus issue simply visiting web sites is enough to become infected let along worrying about video or email, so I guess a lot of that might be determined by internal policy.

While the litigious nature of the US is more myth than fact, it can get rather contentious at times. Never the less the tradition of photo's and videos accompanying resumes is not an accepted practice here. It can also lead to the summary rejection of a resume for no other reason than the unrealistic fear that a suit over the photo content could some how materialize.

"Googling" candidates is becoming common here in the US as well. However, the greatest caution given to most American job seekers is not necessarily an exclusion from having an Internet presence but rather ensuring one has a positive Internet presence. Spring break antics, frat house antics or similar juvenile endeavors, while perhaps fun and exciting at the time, tend to have a habit of being used against an individual in some instances. Most jurisdictions in the US have protections regarding legal off work activity. However, some image conscious organizations have been known to apply near Victorian standards of off work conduct in their search for talent. Proving this occurs is akin to proving the existence of Bigfoot. Many believe it to be true but factual smoking gun evidence has yet to be introduced.

Regardless, it is true that a video resume is inevitable. Anyone with a view toward the future and the use of technology alone can see this coming. When it will work naturally is when an application, hosted by an employer, is available that shares the .wmv or what ever other type of file is used for this type of activity, within the organization and all organizational members with a need have access. This would in all likelihood include a standardized input portal through some job application kiosk, etc. Until then, here in the US, it is little more than a fad, interesting at best but so far from mainstream as to make the use extremely narrow, and therefore in most circles not very productive.