Ziggeo, Resumes, On-Line Profiles, Recorded video interviews, screening candidates
The traditional resume isn’t dead. It is just dressing differently.
Candidates applying for jobs in hi-tech or highly creative fields are increasingly foregoing the emailed resume. Instead of emailing the good old paper resume, candidates are submitting digital portfolios as well as links to personal blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks. The idea is to give employers a more three-dimensional view of candidates, such as what they have written about and what they have created.
In contrast, job-seekers in more conventional fields such as law, consulting, and higher education still typically email more traditional resumes to potential employers, send resumes via snail mail, or bring hard copies to in-person interviews. The best advice for this relatively risk-averse group of candidates is to include, in the traditional resume, links to helpful online material (such as their online profiles) as a way to supplement the tired curriculum vitae format of “Education,” “Work Experience,” and “Hobbies.”
Die-hards will stick with the tried and true method of hard copy resumes printed on heavy stock paper, which is still, for many, the recommended course of action at job fairs. And there’s a practical reason for this: it’s easier for employers to hit the delete button than to overlook a nicely printed piece of paper.
There are infinite ways to doll up a resume, such as by including QR codes that employers can scan with their mobile phones, leading them to candidates’ personal websites. But, as so often in life, creativity comes with risk: the applicant tracking systems used by so many companies may, ironically, not be able to read very high-tech versions of a traditional CV. Similarly, hiring managers, wary of viruses, may not be keen on clicking on links they may receive to candidates’ profiles.
Of course, some resumes are just dressed sloppily, with spelling or grammatical errors – the equivalent of a stain on your lapel. These are justifiably destined for the dustbin (whether electronic or otherwise) since they show a lack of attention to detail.
Whatever the field, employers are (or at least should be) interested in all aspects of the applicant to know who they are hiring, whether the candidates can learn new skills quickly and if they are a good fit for the particular organization. The answer to these key questions are best gleaned by knowing the standard resume-type information (educational, work and extra-curricular experience) as well the candidate’s social footprint.
The final piece of the pre-screening process, the recorded video interview, arguably gives employers the most information about a person in the most efficient way possible. In fact, many interviewers have found it most useful to take a look at the video interview first -- and then move on to the resume, digital profile and portfolio.
In short, there is still much that you can learn from the initial screenng process, whether it be from a resume, online profile or recorded video interview -- before you spend your time or money meeting someone in person.
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Ziggeo lets you quickly and easily pre-screen candidates by watching their videos. Candidates simply record short videos of themselves for your own private viewing.