Get a Marketing Job with a Video Resume

Picture this. You’re applying for a digital marketing job, competition is fierce, and you want to go above and beyond to stand out. What do you do? Why, you send a video resume, of course!

As with a written resume, your video resume should highlight your real-life experience and achievements. If you don’t have enough digital marketing experience, then sign up to become an apprentice through Acadium. An Acadium apprenticeship is fully remote and takes only 10 hours per week for three months. At the end of an apprenticeship, you’ll have work samples, concrete results, and social proof to include in your video resume.

BECOME A MARKETING APPRENTICE

Boost your video resume with an apprenticeship

Leverage the experience, work samples, results, and testimonials from the apprenticeship to make an impressive video resume.

Sign Me Up

Before we go into the nitty-gritty of producing a video resume, you may have a few basic questions.

What is meant by a “video resume”?

Let’s begin with a definition.

“A video resume is a short video submitted to potential employers that summarizes why you’re the best candidate for the job.”

 

The content of a video resume (also known as a “video CV”) may overlap with your written resume. However, it should also supplement a traditional resume and provide additional information that wouldn’t fit or be appropriate in the written resume.

“But are video resumes acceptable?” you may be wondering.

Absolutely, yes!

In fact, some employers require candidates to submit a video curriculum vitae, or some other form of video, as part of the recruitment process. This is common especially for jobs in content marketing, video marketing, social media marketing, sales, and community management—jobs that require you to be confident and personable.

In a survey of 309 employers by Vault Inc., 89% of respondents said they would watch a video resume submitted to them. The majority (52%) said the video CV would be valuable because it helps them assess the applicant’s “professional presentation and demeanor.”

You may soon be able to apply for a job with a TikTok resume! TikTok pilot tested TikTok Resumes in 2021. It’s a site where brands can post jobs and applicants can create, upload, and submit their video resumes.

And even when an employer doesn’t require you to submit a video CV, it’s still acceptable to send one, anyway, to augment your cover letter and written resume.

There are many good reasons you want to do this.

What are the benefits of a video resume?

A video CV is a great way to highlight your most exciting achievements as a digital marketing apprentice.

A video resume helps you outshine the competition in several ways.

• Demonstrate that you’re proactive

First, it shows that you go the extra mile when it comes to marketing yourself (and, by extension, you’ll do the same in marketing the employer’s products). Other candidates may claim that they’re proactive; you’re actually demonstrating it.

• Showcase your video editing skills

It demonstrates your content creation skills, particularly video creation—which is fast becoming a required skill for all digital marketers.

• Build rapport with hiring managers

Video is a rich medium. It shows your appearance and behavior, your speech patterns and inflections, as well as your environment. It gives the prospective employer a faster way to get to know, like, and trust you. They can gauge your personality, energy level, and style.

• Leave your competition in the dust

Finally, video has a high barrier to entry. Very few job candidates, if any, will do create a video CV unless the potential employer requires it as part of the recruitment process. This makes you the more memorable, exciting, and desirable candidate.

Video resume script

Your first step is to write a video resume script. This is not one of those things where winging it works. Every second counts in a video CV, so you must plan yours very carefully.

The most common elements you want to include in your video resume script are:

1. Headline

Open the video by introducing yourself with your name and generic title. For example:

“Hi, I’m Alexis Rodrigo, a marketing and communications professional.”

2. Differentiator

In one to three sentences, say something about yourself that uniquely positions you for the role. This could include your passions and the reason why you’re interested in the position.

“I have decades of experience supporting nonprofits and businesses with their traditional and digital communications and media relations. I’m passionate about using the power of words and images to make a positive impact on how people think, feel, and behave.”

3. Key achievements

Zero in on three key achievements from previous jobs or apprenticeships. These should be directly related to the job you’re applying for. Or, if you’re creating a generic video resume, then talk about the three accomplishments you’re most proud of.

“I’m all about delivering measurable results. For example, in my role as content manager, I increased a blog’s organic traffic eight-fold in five months. At the Alzheimer Society, I generated about $100,000 dollars in donations, revenues, sponsorships, and media coverage. In UNICEF, I managed an advocacy project, which influenced a broadcasters association to change their policies and practices to be more sensitive to children’s rights and well-being.”

4. Social proof

Now it’s time for some social proof! Quote something positive from a former supervisor, manager, mentor, or client. If you can show a screenshot of the glowing testimonial, then all the better.

“The CEO of Acadium summed up my work perfectly when he said: ‘Great strategy, well executed.’”

5. Call to action

Close your video resume with a call to action. Do you want the viewer to call or email you? Let them know exactly what to do next in order to get you on their team!

“Let’s set up a time to chat. Talk soon!”

Should you make a generic video CV or a custom one for a specific job application? My answer: Both!

Create a generic video resume and post it on your social media accounts, particularly your LinkedIn profile.

And also create a custom video resume for each job application—or at least, the ones that are most important to you. If you’re applying for dozens of jobs, it may not be feasible to create a unique video CV for each one. In that case, you make a custom video resume for the top-priority applications and use the generic one for the rest.

Video resume examples

Video resume for a content marketer

You’ve seen my video resume script above. You can watch it on my LinkedIn profile here (Side note: While you’re there, go ahead and connect with me. Do add a message to let me know you read this post).

I actually modeled it after the following example.

Video resume for a talent/HR manager

As you can see, you don’t have to be on-camera all the time or at all. Camera-shy folks, you can all breathe a sigh of relief! However, I strongly recommend that you do appear in front of the camera for at least the beginning and end of the resume video. If not, you’ll miss out on the rapport-building benefits of video CVs.

Of course, this is only one example of a video resume. You can make yours as creative and engaging as you want it to be, depending on your personality and the job you’re applying for.

Below are a few more examples of video CVs.

Video resume for a front-end web developer

This one is another good example of a video resume (jump cuts notwithstanding) because it’s both informative and entertaining:

Video resume for a consultant and speaker

If humor comes naturally to you and it’s appropriate to the role you’re applying for, then something like this might be right along your alley:

Video resume for a photographer and videographer

If you’re camera-shy but you still want to show yourself and your personality, then try a video CV made out of pictures of you, like this one:

There are as many kinds of video CVs as there are job candidates. The video resume script I shared with you in this post is only one way of doing it. You can adapt it or completely create your own video CV style. Do whatever you think will get you that job!

Video resume tips

By now, I hope you’re excited and chomping at the bit to go out there and produce your video resume. Before you do that, let’s go over some tips to help you get the best results.

1. Follow instructions

If the recruitment process does require you to make a video resume or some other kind of video, do follow the employer’s instructions. Some may want you to respond to specific questions, for example. Others may have absolute length limits. Make sure you do exactly what they ask.

2. Keep it short

Two minutes is the absolute maximum length of a video curriculum vitae (unless otherwise specified by the employer). If you can keep it to one minute, even better. It shouldn’t go on and on. Write your script, practice saying it out loud, and keep polishing until it’s as tight and as snappy as you can make it.

3. Show yourself in the best possible way possible

Invest in an inexpensive external microphone and lighting for your video resume and video job interviews.

Make sure you have all the tech stuff covered so that you look and sound your best. This means ensuring you have:

• Good lighting. Stand in front of a window or supplement with artificial lightning. You can find affordable lighting on Amazon.
• Crystal-clear audio. Invest in a good USB microphone. The lighting and microphone will serve you well when it’s time for all the video job interviews you’re going to have as a result of your impressive video resumes!
• Appropriate clothing, makeup, and hair. Dress for the job you’re applying for. Even if you’re applying to a casual workplace, that’s no excuse to look sloppy. Go for business casual, at the very least.
• A professional background. Set up an environment befitting of the credible professional you are. Aim for a background that’s free of clutter, has some interesting elements (without distracting focus away from you), and has minimum noise. No unmade beds or unfolded laundry behind you, please!

You can find more detailed advice in this article about video job interviews.

4. Insert B-roll

Video editing is an in-demand skill among mentors, employers, and clients.

Okay, you’ve recorded yourself on-camera and delivered your script perfectly. Now it’s time for some post-production work. This involves editing in some B-roll or supplemental footages. This can include screenshots of your work samples, footages of you in action, or other video clips related to your script.

You may also want to include a soundtrack (aka background music) and special effects if they’re necessary to make your video more engaging.

Yes, this means you have to do post-production work and edit your video until it’s nice and polished. Don’t know how to edit video? Now’s the best time to learn! If you want to become a digital marketer, you have to at least have basic video editing skills. They’re a must-have!

5. Add captions

Add captions or subtitles to your video. Captions make it easier for people to watch and understand your video resume even if they have the sound off on their computer or mobile device. On social media platforms like LinkedIn, the audio is off by default. Don’t count on folks switching the audio on just to hear what you’re saying. Put the odds in your favor; add captions.

6. Get feedback

Show your video resume to someone you trust. Ask them if you come across as someone clear, likable, and trustworthy. If anything is confusing or unbelievable, then you’ll want to rework your script and/or add B-roll to fix it.

7. Share your video resume

Make it easy to share your video resume. Upload your generic video CV straight to your LinkedIn account and add it to the Featured section. You’ll need a creator type of account to be able to do this. When setting up your Featured section, make sure your video resume is on top of all the featured content. This way, it’s always the first piece of content in the Featured section of your LinkedIn profile. You can then share the link to this post with potential employers.

For job-specific video CVs, you can upload them to YouTube. Choose the privacy setting “Unlisted.” This means your video resume will not show up on YouTube and Google search results. But you can share the link with potential employers and even embed the video on your own website if you wish to do so.

What are you waiting for? Write your video resume script today

An effective video resume can help you get more job interviews.

Now you know everything you need to know in order to produce your very own video resume or video CV. Go ahead and write your script following the template I’ve provided above, or by combining the elements you like best from the many video resumes examples on this post and on other websites.

Need work samples, impressive results, and social proof? Then complete a digital marketing apprenticeship on Acadium. You’ll have real-life marketing experience, impact, and connections, which you can leverage on your video resume and other job search materials.

It’s completely free to become an apprentice. The work is 100% remote and part-time (only 10 hours per week), so you can combine it with a full-time job or studies. An apprenticeship is the best way to launch or advance your digital marketing career.