Miscellaneous Musings | New spin on the traditional CV

As the hunt for jobs gets increasingly more competitive, job-seekers all over the world are trying to employ creative ways to present themselves and make their CV stand out from the crowd. With recent advancements in technology, people have gradually looked towards digital resources and services to address this need: from the traditional favourite Linkedin, to infographics (vizualize.me) and virtual portfolios (Issuu). Recently, I've come to find out about another way to visually present your digital CV, through video documentation. This is the concept behind Meet the Real Me, a UK based company that aims to enhance the job application process by adding personality to one's CV. In a way, the creators are aiming to create a career-specific Youtube.

How it works

At Meet The Real Me, you can see and hear every candidate present their professional and academic experiences in their own words, in their own style, with confidence and enthusiasm. So from now on, don’t just rely on grades or qualifications as a way to screen application numbers, bring personality back into recruitment!

I recently read an article by The Guardian denouncing University degree classification as inaccurate and unreflective of a student's true ability. Which is why part of me does see the merit in online video CVs. Registration is fairly straightforward and soon enough, you're given the opportunity to record yourself on webcam there and them. To make the process fair, all candidates are required to complete the same structured three question interview, recording their answers using a webcam from home or office.

The site also promotes online video recruitment campaigns for employers for the purpose of

reducing costly face-to-face interviews for both you and the candidate.

Interestingly, the company has also branched out to the Education sector:

We have partnered with over 28 universities and colleges across the UK who are integrating our video interviews into their employability programmes during the 2012 academic year.

Looking through a number of videos that existing users have currently uploaded, I can definitely see the appeal of the idea. Who wants to read boring bullet-pointed Word documents when you could see the person face-to-face explaining why they are best suited for the job in their own voice? At the same time, as I click through person after person, I begin to realize how answers seem to overlap with each other as people answer the same questions. The site is still in its early stages of development, and perhaps through more recognition and user sign-ups, I hope to see more creative and innovative uses of the video format to engage potential employers.


What do you guys think of this particular form of digital recruitment? Would you hire someone who sent you a video CV?