Even if you’re the only applicant, securing a job in the academic realm can be difficult. How can you stand out and impress your prospective employer?

How about with a video resume to enhance your traditional paper resume?  A short video clip could be all you need to land that job of your dreams.

Video resumes aren’t the standard yet, but they are a growing trend in many industries, including higher education and research.

What a Video Resume Is

As the name implies, a video resume is a short video clip about your job qualifications, usually under two minutes. Ideal video resumes are 30-90 seconds long.  

Your video resume isn’t meant to replace a paper resume. Rather, you’d use it to supplement the traditional resume and curriculum vitae.

What a video resume isn’t is a recitation of your paper resume. You should use the 30-90 seconds to showcase your personality and ability to perform the job you’re applying for. You can also highlight your previous experience to convince them you’re the perfect candidate for the open position.

Why Videos Are Excellent Ways to Enhance Your Paper Resume

Paper resumes are an excellent tool for laying out the details of your education and qualifications. However, there’s hardly any way to inject your personality or passion for your career into a piece of paper. A video resume can give prospective employers a look at who they are potentially hiring.

Unfortunately, video resumes run the risk of unconscious bias, which could potentially torpedo your employment. Another thing to consider is that once the video is out there, there’s no way to control how it is used.

Is a video resume helpful or hurtful to your application? The good news is very few universities or institutions rely solely on video resumes. So, if you’re uncomfortable making one, it’s not necessary.

However, if a video resume is in your wheelhouse, it can enhance your paper resume in the following ways:

●      Highlighting your skills

●      Showing off your personality

●      Standing out from other applicants

●      Proving you think outside the box

●      Hinting at your work ethic

A video resume can boost your career perspectives, but only if it’s done correctly.

When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Use a Video in Your Job Application

The most important thing to remember when filming a video resume is to be professional. Yes, your application tactics are outside the norm, but you still want to present yourself in the best light.

The content of your video resume will depend on what position you’re applying for. There are some considerations that should be made, regardless.

Is the background distracting? Choosing the correct location to film your video resume is essential. Is it crowded, noisy, or visually unappealing? It’s also paramount to consider your audience. A video resume for a banking job won’t be the same as for a tech position.

Plan what you’ll say or do in the video ahead of time. Of course, you want prospective employers to see your true personality. However, having a script or an outline can keep you on track. Remember, you’re only filming for 30-90 seconds.

Having a script doesn’t mean reading your paper resume word-for-word. Instead, use visuals that highlight your career in some way. A short glimpse at a presentation you gave at a previous job, for example, says more than your resume reveals.

Add Your Video Resume to Your Impactio Portfolio

When you want to make an impression and show that you’re serious about your research skills, take a minute and connect your video resume to your Impactio profile.

Impactio is America’s leading networking platform for scientists and researchers. Adding your video resume to your profile increases your job prospects and lets potential employers know you have the skills and experience to add value wherever you go.

If you’ve published work recently, you can also use Impactio to create a visual representation of how well your manuscript made an influence in the field. Impactio’s analytics turn this data into an easy-to-understand visual report that you can save and add to your video resume for emphasis.