Video resumes allow students to make a long lasting impression by giving a brief, but detailed account of their skills, achievements, education and goals. Video resumes are short, but when executed the right way, they can do a lot more for you than a standard paper resume can. For younger job seekers that have less job experience to put on their resume, finding the right way to present yourself in your video resume can be a challenge. Here are some tips on how to create a video resume for an internship.
Just like a resume, a video resume is promoting yourself as the ideal candidate for the job described. The first thing you must do is look at the job description for the internship and find what relevant skills and work experience you have that matches the job description.
Internships are entry-level jobs for young job seekers. Chances are young job seekers will be looking for internships during college, a time when, for many, being a full-time student doesn’t leave room for a job. Young job seekers may have jobs, but they may not be relevant to the industry they’re looking to internship and work in. Despite this fact, these seasonal and summer jobs such as babysitting, retail, tutoring, and being a barista are still worth mentioning. The way you mention your work experience in your video resume is the most important part. Take the internship description and find how you can relate it to your work experiences. For example if it asks for a candidate with strong communication skills, think of how you may have used communication skills in your previous jobs.
If you have no previous job experience at all, then talk about the strong work ethic you have. You can demonstrate this by talking about any academic honors or achievements you may have had. Even though this isn’t related to work experience, you can still use this information to distinguish yourself as a hard working and responsible individual. Any volunteer or hobbies that can demonstrate your leadership skills like doing an intramural sport or being the president of an on-campus organization will also show that you are a valuable candidate that knows how to work with a team of people.
Remember, video resumes are short, so as much as you’d like to go into detail about yourself you need to make sure you show that you’re an ideal candidate for the job described by mentioning the keywords used in the job description. You can use your video resume to encompass all aspects of the job described and why you are the best candidate. Choose words that will make you stand out from the other job seekers and video resumes.
Video resumes, unlike traditional paper resumes are visual. The employer gets to see your face, hear your voice and read your body language. Keep all of these things in mind when preparing to make your video resume for your internship. Dress professionally, smile and have a strong voice full of enthusiasm. If you don’t have a lot of work experience and skills to back up your resume, your enthusiasm will take you a long way.
What are some ways you use your video resume in your job search to snag an internship? Let us know in the comments section below!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by stevendepolo
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