Tips for Creating an Online Resume on YouTube

Video dating makes way for video hiring, as our information technology based society looks for better and more interactive and productive ways of getting the job done. In the past, a job search candidate or potential employee had to consolidate their experience into an application and resume, and if they were lucky, a portfolio showcasing their best work, but they couldn't do much about showing a potential employer who was behind those papers. That's were video resumes have come onto the job search scene.

YouTube, one of the largest websites in the world, and perhaps the single largest video sharing website on the internet today, has seen an influx of a new trend: Video Resumes on YouTube. All a web surfer has to do it visit YouTube and type the word 'resume' into the search box to reveal thousands of video resumes online through this site alone.

While some of these videos are far from professional, and some can only be jokes or parodies, there are some very clever and professionally prepared video resumes to be viewed by potential employers.

One of the advantages of a video resume is that it allows a potential employer to get a feel for the job candidate beyond just what's on paper. Personality, mannerisms, attitude, professionalism can all be viewed in a way that required a face to face interview in the past.

So if you are searching for a job and are considering putting up a video resume on YouTube or a job site like Jobster that now allows video uploads, you might want to take a moment to look at these five Do and Don'ts about creating an online video resume.

Online Video Resume DO #1: DO dress professionally for your online resume, the same way you would dress for the actual job interview if you were going to be meeting the employer in person.

Online Video Resume DO #2: DO remove any background noise, distractions, or anything that can give the employer information about you that they do not need to know. Be sure that your pets and children if you have them are not in the room when you create your video resume.

Online Video Resume DO #3: DO use a quality video recorder or webcam and sound recorder so that the video does not appear cheap or poorly created. This video should be as professional as you can make it with good video and sound quality. You wouldn't submit a wrinkled or stained paper resume for a job, so your video resume should be the as neat and organized.

Online Video Resume DO #4: DO stay on topic and provide information pertinent to your experience, job skills and ability to perform the job. A potential employer doesn't care what kind of car you drive, where you buy your groceries, what you religion is, how many children you have, or what you had for dinner last night. Keep your video resume on topic and share only things that you would normally share during a face to face interview. Script the interview and practice it several times to ensure you can say the words naturally, but don't ramble and leave out anything.

Online Video Resume Do #5: DO keep the video brief, no more than three minutes on average, hitting the highpoints and showing just enough of your personality that the employer can get a feel for who you are, but not so long the employer becomes bored watching your video resume and never finishes it.

Now that you have down the things that you should do, there are many Don'ts you need to consider when creating your online video resume.

The most notoriously known video resume on YouTube is one by Aleksey Vayner. Mr. Vayner was reported by various news sources and blog sites to have provided a video resume to an employer that was nearly seven minutes in length, and that video focused on his extra curricular activities (sports and dancing), and his personal philosophies, without focusing at all on his actual job skills.

His video was leaked and ended up posted on YouTube, where he became the brunt of many jokes, as well as a parody or two of his video resume being posted.

Mr. Vayner could easily be studied as a DON'T for how to put together a video resume. Let's look at just a few of the things to be learned from this faux pas.

Online Video Resume Don't #1: DON'T lie or embellish. The one thing about online video resumes when compared to paper resumes is that they can remain in cyberspace forever, and any lies you tell coming straight from your mouth on video can come back to haunt you even years later.

Online Video Resume Don't #2: DON'T ramble on about things that are not important to a potential employer and don't discuss personal philosophies unless they directly relate to job performance.

Online Video Resume Don't #3: DON'T speak or behave unprofessionally or do anything on a video resume that you would not do in a face to face interview.

Online Video Resume Don't #4: DON'T use slang, vulgarity or inappropriate unprofessional language.

Online Video Resume Don't #5: DON'T use copyrighted photos or music when creating your video. Such use of copyrighted materials without proper citation and permission is actually a crime in the United States and committing a crime during your interview isn't the best way to impress a new employer.

An online video resume can be uploaded to video sites, such as YouTube, where you can receive an easy URL to include on your paper resume, or you can create your own website online resume and embed the code from YouTube into your resume website.

A professionally prepared, concise video resume can make the difference between being pushed aside into a pile of paper resumes and getting that all important face to face interview. In fact, when an employer has access to both a paper resume and an online video resume, there is a possibility of being receiving a tentative job offer from an employer who may be a long distance from you without a face to face interview.

Just another way the internet can bring people closer together.