Video resumes a medium of potential & pitfalls

Resumes are one of the most important components in an individual's professional career. In fact, it is probably one of the most underrated and under appreciated components by a professional.  We often perceive resumes as tools needed only when we are looking for new, or better, opportunities.  In reality, resumes should be viewed as living entities.  Its contents should be constantly monitored and updated.  In fact, an inert resume could be considered a direct link to career suicide.
 
In addition to its contents constantly changing, the actual resume component itself is frequently receiving changes in presentation, style, format, and delivery mechanisms.  The latest and most notable change is in the methods of presentation and delivery.  Recently, the video resume has emerged as an industry buzz for resume presentation.  As a new and innovative way of submitting resumes, it is becoming more and more popular to many.  While this may be a creative way of presenting oneself to potential employers, one must inevitably ask is it in their best interest?
 
Despite all of its positive potential, its negative potential should raise red flags for many.  Video resumes have the undesirable potential of making it slightly easier to discriminate against job candidates.  Sure, the potential for discrimination is present with today's methods of distribution; however, the occurrences are hopefully few and far between.  I am sure that some of you have heard of, or experienced, scenarios where an employer has chosen a candidate based on a favoritism of a particular quality totally unrelated to the posted position.  Nevertheless, one must agree that the possibilities of this happening in today's market are slim, as opposed to the occurrences that are possible through the increased usage of video resumes.
 
Using today's resume delivery and presentation methods, the perspective employer cannot hear nor see the applicant.  This places each applicant on somewhat of an even playing field.  While there is no way to fully level it, the current landscape is far better than the one that could potentially be created with the increased usage of video resumes.  Currently, if an employer, or hiring manager, has any biased preferences, then they cannot completely rule out all individuals of a particular group until after the face to face interview.   However, with the video resumes, they can now rule out an individual based on collective biases not related to the job during the resume screening process.  This would in effect reduce, if not eliminate, the candidate's opportunities for face-to-face interviews.  If discrimination occurred at this stage of the interview process, then all that they have to do is say that the candidate was not qualified due to their resume.  But, in reality, they were ruled out based on some bias made visible during the video presentation.
 
Some may say that this form of discrimination in the job market is rarely, if not ever, seen today.  Yet, this is a topic that should not be taken lightly, if we are truly interested in a diverse market full of equal opportunity for all.  Video resumes have the potential to uneven the playing fields for job candidates.  What if it's you?

Video resumes a medium of potential & pitfalls

Resumes are one of the most important components in an individual's professional career. In fact, it is probably one of the most underrated and under appreciated components by a professional.  We often perceive resumes as tools needed only when we are looking for new, or better, opportunities.  In reality, resumes should be viewed as living entities.  Its contents should be constantly monitored and updated.  In fact, an inert resume could be considered a direct link to career suicide. In addition to its contents constantly changing, the actual resume component itself is frequently receiving changes in presentation, style, format, and delivery mechanisms.  The latest and most notable change is in the methods of presentation and delivery.  Recently, the video resume has emerged as an industry buzz for resume presentation.  As a new and innovative way of submitting resumes, it is becoming more and more popular to many.  While this may be a creative way of presenting oneself to potential employers, one must inevitably ask is it in their best interest?

Video resumes a medium of potential & pitfalls

Resumes are one of the most important components in an individual's professional career. In fact, it is probably one of the most underrated and under appreciated components by a professional.  We often perceive resumes as tools needed only when we are looking for new, or better, opportunities.  In reality, resumes should be viewed as living entities.  Its contents should be constantly monitored and updated.  In fact, an inert resume could be considered a direct link to career suicide. In addition to its contents constantly changing, the actual resume component itself is frequently receiving changes in presentation, style, format, and delivery mechanisms.  The latest and most notable change is in the methods of presentation and delivery.  Recently, the video resume has emerged as an industry buzz for resume presentation.  As a new and innovative way of submitting resumes, it is becoming more and more popular to many.  While this may be a creative way of presenting oneself to potential employers, one must inevitably ask is it in their best interest?

Know when to fold 'em

I'm back.In case you don't follow my personal travails, I've spent the last four months working for security software vendor StillSecure as their Cobia Product Evangelist.  It was a dream job, or so I thought.  The reality turned out to be that it's a dream job, just not my dream job.  Any one with a clear head would have realized that a job titled "Product Evangelist" would be a marketing job.  I obviously did not have a clear head when I took the job, because I would have realized at the time that I'm allergic to marketing and spin. 

Know when to fold 'em

I'm back.In case you don't follow my personal travails, I've spent the last four months working for security software vendor StillSecure as their Cobia Product Evangelist. It was a dream job, or so I thought. The reality turned out to be that it's a dream job, just not my dream job. Any one with a clear head would have realized that a job titled "Product Evangelist" would be a marketing job. I obviously did not have a clear head when I took the job, because I would have realized at the time that I'm allergic to marketing and spin.

Know when to fold 'em

I'm back.In case you don't follow my personal travails, I've spent the last four months working for security software vendor StillSecure as their Cobia Product Evangelist. It was a dream job, or so I thought. The reality turned out to be that it's a dream job, just not my dream job. Any one with a clear head would have realized that a job titled "Product Evangelist" would be a marketing job. I obviously did not have a clear head when I took the job, because I would have realized at the time that I'm allergic to marketing and spin.