Forget the paper resumé, the showreel is the new CV

The low-tech paper resumé has had its day. Phoebe Luckhurst learns that getting a new job now means doing screen time

In the past, the cardinal rules of job applications were simple. Check grammar then check it again, eschewing the spellcheck for the keen eye of a willing pedant. Ensure the covering letter is addressed to the right organisation: a scatter-gun approach risks striking the wrong target. Send the correct documents, click “attach” and — above all — review before you send.

Today however, you need more than a firm grasp of the Oxford comma. Technology is turning applications into audition tapes: the showreel is the new CV.

The technical term is Me-V, and research published last month by recruitment specialist Hello My Name Is... suggests that it’s sticking around. Eighty-three per cent of employers believe that paper CVs do not fairly reflect “important qualities such as personality and confidence” and almost 75 per cent of the firms polled said that CVs were not “an effective tool in securing a role”. Increasingly, applicants must supplement applications with a Me-V; companies including leading PR agency Lexis and property firm Savills ask for videos for grad scheme applications.

“By using video CVs as part of the selection and interview process, businesses are able to view a snapshot of a candidate’s personality alongside their CV — often reducing the number of interviews required, saving time and money,” says Alex Townley, marketing manager for Inspiring Interns, a graduate internship recruitment site. “A survey Inspiring Interns carried out last year with more than 100 clients found that 94 per cent of companies want to see video CVs as part of the recruitment process.”

Screen testing is also demanded at interview stage. As the job market acquires a truly global scope, Skype interviews are becoming increasingly popular. They are particularly prevalent in the tech sector as Silicon Valley and Silicon Roundabout swap their talent.

“I can interview for jobs with companies that are growing an EU presence but are currently based in the US,” says Andrew Lewis, a software developer at Tutorfair. “No travel time is a bonus and it’s free for both the interviewer and interviewee and also allows for more freedom regarding where the individuals involved are — one of my interviewers was on holiday but managed to fit an interview in from Vancouver. At my current company, Tutorfair, I had an interview with the chief technical officer while he was working from home and looking after his daughter.”

However, showreels certainly favour those who spent their childhood warbling in school pantos, harbouring fantasies of Blue Peter stardom. For those to whom smizing doesn’t come naturally, experts recommend thinking about your body language.

“The biggest frustration was the lack of eye contact,” admits Meaghan Fitzgerald of 23snaps, who has done several Skype interviews. “To make ‘eye contact’ with the interviewer, I had to stare directly into the camera, instead of at their face on the screen, which might have led me to miss cues or visual responses.”

“Imagine that your employer is sitting in front of you,” advises Townley. “We always recommend that candidates dress for the job they want; this doesn’t mean wearing a suit but showing that you are able to mirror a potential employer’s dress code and would fit in well with the company.”

While lounging in a onesie won’t cut the professional mustard, there is an advantage to being in comfortable surroundings. “A video CV could give [applicants] the relaxed atmosphere they need to get themselves across,” agrees social marketing expert and entrepreneur Rich Brady. Script your video but avoid coming across as wooden. If you’re expecting a Skype call, test your connection beforehand. Don’t sit in, on or near your bed.

Lights, camera, action: your job is to be a star.

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