5 Video Resume Branding Tips for Job-Seekers

5 Video Resume Branding Tips for Job-Seekers

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by Josh Tolan

When it comes to crafting your personal brand online, job-seekers can choose from a number of ways you can show employers and other professionals what you're all about. From blogs to Twitter to online portfolios, dozens of platforms are available for you to showcase your unique skills and expertise. But your personal brand is about more than that -- you also have to showcase your personality and ability to communicate.

You could be churning out tons of useful information for your audience on your social networks, but how do you give others a real feel for your presence and personality? After all, no one wants to hire a robot, and demonstrating your communication skills is a critical aspect of positioning yourself as hire-worthy.

One way to reveal your personality is by creating a video resume to enhance your personal brand. It's a great way to stand out to employers and give your audience a feel for your real-life presence. [Editor's Note: Learn more about video resumes here.]

Before you create your video resume, check out these five video resume personal branding tips:

1. Have a plan. Before you even touch a camera, you should ask yourself -- who is the audience for this message? What do they want to know about me? How can I tell them my story in a compelling way? You should pull together the most important elements of your personal brand to create a clear and complete story of your professional life.

2. Script it out. Your thoughts will flow much more smoothly if you've practiced them beforehand, so be sure to write out what you're going to say before you start filming. This process will help you accomplish a conversational tone and eliminate any distracting "um's" or other conversation fillers that can indicate nervousness.

3. Keep it compelling. Remember, a resume is a marketing tool, so your video doesn't have to entail you reciting a boring list of your professional history. Make it exciting, and add elements of your personality. As long as you don't choose content that's too overwhelming or distracts from your key message, you can use your video resume as an opportunity to let your individual personality traits and creativity shine.

4. Pay attention to visuals. Your video resume is an important tool to demonstrate your personality, but that doesn't mean you can forget about visual elements like clothing, lighting, and background. Film in an uncluttered part of your home or office, and experiment with lighting to ensure you're not shrouded in shadow or washed out. Dress professionally -- and not just from the waist up -- and avoid any patterns or colors that will look distracting on camera.

5. Spread it around. It's not enough to just create a video resume -- you've got to promote it, too. Direct employers to the link to your resume during the hiring process. Include the link in your email signature, on your paper resume, in your cover letter, on your online portfolio or personal Website. Share it on your blog, tweet it, Facebook it -- use all the outlets you have to give your video a platform for success.

Final Thoughts on Job-Seeker Video Resumes

Online video resumes are a great way to showcase your personality, creativity, and communication skills in the hiring process. Your personal brand doesn't have to be one-dimensional -- use these tips to stand out among the sea of LinkedIn profiles and professional Twitter feeds.

This article is part of Job Action Day 2012.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, a video-powered hiring network that connects job-seekers and employers through video resumes and online interviews. Connect with him and Spark Hire on Facebook and Twitter.

Enhance your career brand! Find great articles, tools, and resources for developing your personal career brand, as well as key self-marketing techniques to get hired or promoted in our Personal Branding & Career Self-Marketing Tools for Job-Seekers and Career Activists.

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

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