Job Seekers Creating Multimedia Resumes

By CityTownInfo.com Staff

May 7, 2009

Job seekers eager to stand out against other applicants have been creating video resumes to send to potential employers.

MSNBC.com reports that multimedia resumes that include photos, samples of work, videos and even Twitter feeds are becoming more popular. Moreover, job seekers are using their own Web sites, blogs and social networking sites to replace or add to their traditional resumes.

"It's an increasingly competitive job market and people are trying to distinguish themselves from the crowds by using different platforms and media," explained Robert Pietrykowski, assistant vice president of human resources at Cleveland State University.

Ryan Dougherty created a video resume after he received no responses to 70 traditional resumes that he sent out. After making his multimedia resume on InterviewClips.com, he included a link to the video with every cover letter he e-mailed to prospective employers. He consequently landed a job as a budget manager and assistant to the dean of the University of San Francisco's nursing school.

"Of all the 55 or so applications we received, Ryan's was the only one who had a video resume attached," explained Jossie Orense, who was an assistant to the dean when Dougherty applied.

National Public Radio reports that many Web sites allow users to create video resumes, including VisualCV, Zolio and GigTide.

"The traditional flat resume doesn't get across any of your personality," said Phillip Merrick, who founded VisualCV, "and it certainly doesn't give you the ability to show what you've done versus tell somebody about work that you've done."

The Web site also allows job-seekers to connect with those who viewed their resumes. Other sites allow users to critique one another's resumes.

Yet some HR experts say that paper resumes are still the best bet. "By introducing a non-typical resume, you may actually make the HR staff's job harder while potentially exposing them to a lawsuit," said David Lewis, regional manager for Express Employment Professionals in Oklahoma City, who was quoted by MSNBC.

Some are concerned, for example, that seeing a person's race or potentially finding out about their religious affiliation may open an employer up to litigation.

"The demise of the paper resume is greatly exaggerated," said Jerry Glass, president of a human resources consulting firm. "It's still, by far, the dominant way to get in front of prospective employers."

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