Many employers consider the video resume to be pretentious. Also, few have the necessary equipment for viewing tapes in their office. And taking tapes home is inconvenient. Thus you can't expect to have great success with a video resume. However, if you feel that this method of obtaining interviews will give you a leg up on the competition and you want to use it, here are guidelines to follow:
Don't produce the tape yourself; have it professionally prepared in a studio. For companies to contact, see the Yellow Pages under "Video Production Services."
Before doing the taping at a studio, prepare and rehearse your script at home. It's best to first practice alone, then role-play with another person. A 10-minute tape will suffice. Be sure you're asked questions that will enable you to give a good overview of your background and, especially, discuss your key strengths and accomplishments. Section Two of this book, "The 160 Questions Interviewers Ask and How to Answer Them," will be of much help in this regard.
When you go to a studio for taping, have the interview take place in an office setting and be sure that the person who's interviewing you is off-camera and sounds professional. You can either be standing or sitting behind a desk. Dress as you would for an actual job interview.
When the taping is completed, critique your work. Look for unclear speech, repetitious words and phrases, and any mannerisms or gestures that convey nervousness. You must appear relaxed and confident and communicate effectively If necessary, repeat the interview until you're completely satisfied with it.
Don't mail your video resume to a potential employer without first having obtained permission to do so. When you send your tape, also enclose a cover letter and your written resume. Then follow up with a phone call a few days later.
You'll have the best chance of success with a video resume if you're pursuing a position that requires an outstanding appearance and personality and you have both of these features. Usually, these will be positions that require extensive public contact.
References
It's important to line up your references before going on interviews. Most companies will want to check your background before extending an offer, and you could be asked for references at any time. The individuals that companies will prefer to talk with will be your former managers.
Before deciding to offer someone's name, speak to the person first. Not only is this courteous, it also provides the opportunity to explain how you'll be presenting yourself. In addition, you want assurance that this person's comments will support the claims you'll be making, especially about your strengths and accomplishments. Giving these people a copy of your resume will be invaluable in this regard.
If you're unemployed, always speak with your previous manager. He's likely to be contacted whether or not you provide his name. It's essential that the two of you concur on why you left the company.
If you're in doubt about the remarks a manager will make, ask what he plans to say. If you feel he's being unfair, say so and try to resolve your differences.
If you have reason to believe that a manager's comments will differ from what he tells you, you can verify this by having a friend pose as a recruiter or potential employer and call him to perform a reference check.
When you're on close terms with the people providing you with references, advise them of all the interviews that appear promising and the companies they should expect to hear from. Most important, tell them about a position's responsibilities and which of your strengths and accomplishments to highlight. This will ensure that their comments substantiate your qualifications. Also, ask these people to call you once they've spoken with a company. You want to know where you stand with your interviews, what kinds of questions are being asked about you, and if these questions follow a particular pattern. If a pattern exists, and it expresses concern about a specific part of your background or presentation, you'll know where you need to make improvements in your interviewing.
If an interviewer tells you that he wants to contact a particular manager and you're certain that his remarks will be unfavorable, there's a way to minimize their impact:
First, advise the interviewer that the comments won't be favorable and explain why A reason frequently offered and accepted is that there was a personality conflict. Then provide the names of two other managers at the company, or the names of two individuals with whom you worked closely, who will vouch for the high caliber of your work. Their statements will neutralize the poor reference.
If you're asked to fill out an application that requests the names of your previous managers and you know that one of them will comment adversely, you're in a difficult situation. You want to volunteer this information only when you're positive that the manager will be contacted. Bringing up this matter prematurely will give reason for concern. Omitting this part of the application will arouse suspicion. And refusing to fill out the form altogether will antagonize the interviewer.
Complete the application, but ask the interviewer to advise you when he's about to check your references. Although there's no guarantee he'll oblige, the chances are good that he'll do as requested, especially if you're currently employed. It's at this time that you'll explain that there's a poor reference and give the names of additional people to contact.
Initially Contacting the Personnel Department
Considerable emphasis has been placed on (1) writing to the manager who has the authority to hire you and not to the personnel department, and (2) communicating your background via a letter instead of a resume.
There's an exception to note, however: If you're seeking an entry- or junior-level position and are open to a variety of jobs, it's advisable to send your resume to personnel. Openings might exist anywhere in a company, and this department can direct your background to the appropriate hiring manager(s).
When you write to personnel, it isn't mandatory to address a particular individual by name and title, although that would obviously be preferred.
If your resume contains negative points that might cause you to be screened out, it's best to write a letter. The letter should also be sent to a specific person by name and title, not to the "Personnel Department," "Employment Department," or "Employment Manager."
The Order in Which You Implement Strategies
Once you've decided which strategies to use, looking for a job resembles a "numbers game." You never can be sure which interview will culminate in an offer. You also can't predict the strategy that will produce this interview.
As a result, you want as many interviews as possible. Therefore, don't limit your efforts to any one strategy Use the combination that best suits your objective and needs. Also implement the strategies in the order in which they'll generate interviews the quickest.
If you'll be sending companies a broadcast letter, don't contact employment agencies until two weeks after the letters have been mailed. An agency might conduct its own mailing on your background and it won't present your qualifications nearly as convincingly. If a manager receives a mailing before your broadcast letter, he could make the decision not to interview you and ignore your correspondence when it arrives.
In the event that you see an agency ad that interests you, immediately call to make an appointment. When you meet your agency representative, tell him that this is the only position you want him to pursue. Explain that you've written to many companies and don't want your background to be presented to any other organizations at this time, especially through a mass mailing. If you need further assistance in the future, he'll be available to you.
