Job Seeker Blog - Spark Hire

Video Resume Humor: How Much is Too Much?

Lots of video resume advice encourages job seekers to be creative and to show their personality in ways they couldn’t with just a paper resume. There are even some great examples of clever, funny, “concept video resumes” (patent pending on that term). However, is a humorous resume appropriate or professional for every occasion? Employers want to see your personality, but it’s also important to remain professional. Here are some guidelines for making quality creative video resumes, and some ways to know what the boundaries should be.

If you’re going to go with a humorous video resume, don’t deliver your information and then do something funny. The delivery itself should be funny. Use a creative concept for your video resume to deliver your message more effectively. This shows good judgment in use of humor, and makes the resume seem clever instead of just goofy.

Next, make sure the quality is great. We’ve talked about quality in video resumes before, and it is especially important when trying to deliver a funny or clever presentation. Practice your script, and record the video as many times as you need to for it to be perfect. Spark Hire’s platform for job seekers is great for this; it’s very easy to record and re-record as many times as you need to make a flawless presentation.

Finally, know your audience. This is important in deciding how much humor you can get away with in your video resume. Different employers are going to want different things from their employees and job seekers. In the same way that a dress code varies from office to office, so will the criteria for good video resumes. To try and understand what your potential boss might be looking for, ask yourself: Would it be appropriate to show this video to a client? Your potential employer wants to know that you have good judgment in representing yourself and the company in public. The answer to this question will vary based on the industry, and you should adapt your level of frivolity accordingly. For my job at a daycare, a singing video resume would have gone over like gangbusters. For a job as a lawyer…perhaps not. Legally Blonde notwithstanding.

As a last measure to ensure that your resume is appropriate, consider showing it to a few contacts in your field. They can give you the best advice on whether or not the resume will work for a job seeker in your field.

What do you think? How much humor should be in video resumes? Leave a comment below, or send me a tweet: @ithinkther4iamb #jobseeker

IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by spcbrass

Kristin Anderson

Kristin has a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa, with an emphasis in creative writing. In her free time she enjoys long walks, kitchen adventures, and making puns.

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