It seems like I may be on to something interesting here. I am beginning to recognize that creating a video resume (like the one on my site) is a great way to really stand out in a crowded job market. I am already starting to get calls from professional headhunters who, despite not knowing exactly how to use this new tool, all agree that this is the beginning of an effective application of technology for HR professionals, career advisors and even company executives looking for that special employee.
In order to differentiate yourself to prospective employers, it's critical to think creatively and to step outside the box. Granted, not everyone is comfortable in front of a camera, but just a glimpse of your smiling face may mean the difference between your resume being shuffled off to the circular file and getting a call for that all important interview.
Note that I said "getting a call for the interview". Don't expect to land that great job on the basis of a video resume. Set your expectations now. This is only a tool to get you more effective visiblity - it won't necessarily land you the job. You still have to interview like everyone else and that's where you'll really show your stuff!
I highly recommend finding a good videographer to help you with your video resume. It doesn't have to be expensive (about $200) but try to find a company that will offer you a nominally priced subscription plan - where you can shoot a variety of videos over a period of time.
The average job search is 6 months. So plan to shoot a bunch of different videos.. for specific jobs, specific companies, specific titles, specific roles, etc. If you are in Los Angeles, like myself, check out http://www.silverdoveproductions.com. A great company with a real familial approach to video production - not your typical Hollywood outfit. Make sure to tell them that Jim Gibson sent ya - you'll get a great discount, I promise!
If you would like to have me send you a checklist for a video resume, go to my Contact Jim page and fill out the form. I'll shoot you over a great article on how to prepare for your 2 minutes of fame.
Until then, happy job hunting! I look forward to hearing from you.
Jim Gibson
Last Friday was a great day! Not just because of what you’re thinking… end of the week.. weekend.. party-time!, etc.. no, not that at all. In fact, at 5:30pm, I found myself driving up the 5 freeway from Irvine to Glendale, locked in bumper to bumper traffic, fighting dense pockets of folks leaving town for the holiday weekend. Thank god for the last two days to give me lots to reflect on during my long trip home. I didn’t have time to think about partying, resting or just hanging out - much less the traffic jam I was in.
You see, I spent the past 48 hours sitting in a classroom. Most of you are probably saying, “I’d rather be sitting in traffic!”. In most circumstances, I’d agree with you. But this was different. For 48 hours, I went way back in time… to a time where I had passion for an idea.. where I found every day an opportunity to enhance the idea and continue to make a business out of it. I went back to a time where creating, inventing, building & managing the process was all consuming - and everything I enjoyed. Yet somewhere along the way I got sidetracked. We all do at some point or another I guess. But to me, it was frutstrating. Despite my efforts, I didn’t know quite how to get it back.
Then along came the Venture Farm Boot Camp (www.venturefarm.com). Venture Farm is an Irvine-based venture capital firm that is focused on helping early stage companies get education about creating and running a start-up and in the process get better prepared for the prospect of raising cash. Managed by VC industry veteran, Sid Mohasseb, the two day boot camp brings local entrepreneurs together to engage in real-life business building exercises that are intended to re-invigorate not only the individual businesses but the entrepreneur as well. Let me say from first hand experience, it did the trick!
The two day experience was exactly what the doctor ordered for me personally. Sid’s vast experience and incredible (and relevant) teachings allowed me to hone my entrepreneurial skills while affording me the opportunity to re-assess where we’re taking Service Omni. More importantly, I found meaning to what we are trying to deliver with our product.
Finding the meaning, although it sounds trivial, was a very important (and missing) ingredient to the message we are trying to deliver to our audience. Without meaning, we were not targeting our message - much less, delivering the right value proposition with our service offering. Not to be confused with the Value Proposition, Meaning, in this instance, is what you want your audience to take away from their experience with your product or service.
We have a cool site that allows businesses to create a web presence for free, summarize their services, upload some pictures and videos and have access to some cool features. But in our case, the meaning was still unclear. The Venture Farm Boot Camp helped me to find that meaning.
Justice! Simple. Justice for smaller businesses. An equal opportunity to compete on a level playing field. In a space where there is so much clutter and where its terribly expensive to effectively get seen, we endeavor to give smaller businesses a chance to play with the big boys. By creating a just-based system that combines marketing control and rewards for community feedback, we’ve enabled smaller businesses to get noticed more on merit than on paying the big bucks to buy visibility. We’ve come full circle and come back to what started this idea in the first place! We realized we were on the right track all along but we, ourselves, got caught up in the clutter game.
Now its time to get back to basics… to, as they say in the great state of Texas, “dance with the one that brung ya”. The Venture Farm Boot Camp got us to remember what’s important.. it’s not so much about being the fastest in terms of growing the business, achieving the so-called “critical mass” of users as it is to be honest with ourselves and with our community. It’s about providing real value to small businesses who struggle with getting visibility in an incredibly crowded arena - the internet.
And this is what we are going back to. Back to the beginning and move steadfastly towards this common goal of creating opportunities where they might not have existed before. I owe a lot to Sid and his mentoring. He’s made me realize that it shouldn’t be a struggle to produce a real meaning - that it should come from the heart and, more importantly, from a real desire to make a difference in what you offer in a service.
Thanks Sid!
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