If you’re looking for a job, it’s time to get camera ready: Well-crafted video content has all kinds of algorithmic magic working in its favor these days. Posting your video on your blog, social media channels—including that traditional business outpost, LinkedIn—will move your job search in the right direction.
Types of video content to consider:
- Video Presentation of Experience, Projects or Skills: Make a “show and tell” for your abilities and help potential employers and clients see what you have to offer. Pro tip: Post the video to your customized YouTube channel first so you can provide the title, keywords and description to aid in your search engine optimization later, then use the share link to post to your blog and social media profiles.
- Video Curriculum Vitae/Resume: This is a controversial topic: Many career coaches advise against creating a video CV or resume because of the potential for a negative bias based on appearance to creep into the job-hunt equation. If one of your strengths is creatively sharing your personality and professional bona fides using video, then you are in a good place to create a video CV and have it available—possibly from your LinkedIn profile—as another resource.
- Live Video: Share your tips, or go longer and offer up thoughts on current issues going on in your industry, using live video on relatively new live platforms such as Periscope, Snapchat or Facebook Live. Potential employers may be doubly impressed by your insights and your adoption of a technology that a lot of media professionals are still grappling with.
- Curated Video: Have you run across a new video of a speaker who speaks presciently to your industry? Discovered a TED talk that inspires you, or might inspire others in the kind of job you’d like to obtain? You never know when your potential employer might feel a sense of connection based on the types of content you share.
A caveat: Be mindful of the types of video you share and recognize that you may turn your audience off, particularly if you tread into sensitive topic areas such as politics, religion or sex.
- Something Creative: There are all kinds of video that can help you stand out as the ideal hire. If you happen to be clever and funny, you might even find a way to work your job search into an interactive social media experience like this guy.
When thinking about ways to use video to support your search, consider your intended audience, objectives and strategy, and the channels you can use to amplify your message: “Hire me!”
Part of building a campaign to find your next right next step is to get a better understanding of yourself. Would you feel better having less of your face on camera, but sharing images of your projects is no big deal? Go with that. Are you comfortable sharing your thoughts or tips? Go for it.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a thought leader in your industry, you can still identify ways to provide value from your experience to the world around you. At the very least, you will show your potential employer that you are adept at using the latest tools and communications methods.
