Bangalore: Media persons are taught that a picture is worth a thousand words. By the same token, a few seconds of actually looking at and hearing a candidate for an interview can be worth a 1000-word resume or C.V. ( curriculum vitae). Which is why companies that hire staff increasingly via Internet-based job search sites still need to set up a face-to-face interview with shortlisted candidates.

In a vast country like India that can be a logistic challenge for both the employer and the prospective candidate. Now technology has come to the rescue — and at least partially solved the problem. The Indian edition of the world's number one online job portal, Monster.com (www.monsterindia.com) now invites its registered users to supplement their text-based C.V.s with a video resume.

Free video service

Like the basic service this too is a free add-on service, but it can make a huge difference to one's chances, particularly if one can skilfully use the video opportunity to convey one's fluency in language and confident personality.

"We all know the first two minutes of a face-to-face interview is often the most crucial part. That's when the interview board sizes up the candidate; his or her body language and verbal skills even before it gets down to specialist subject matter," explained Vikas Agarwal, Monster India's Vice President for Products and Technology, in a telephonic briefing for The Hindu on Saturday.

"So why not `jump the queue' over thousands of other applicants, by creating a two minute video which will replicate the first moments of the eventual interview?" `Don't exceed two minutes'," he advises, "Employers are busy people and may have to see thousands of videos. If your job involves personal skills, ask someone to shoot you as you explain about yourself and supplement the text of your C.V. But if the job does not call for such skills, use most of your two minutes to display your work — may be products or visual campaigns in your portfolio, and limit your on on-screen time to a few seconds"

Monster will accept all current and standard formats for sending videos and one can shoot them with whatever you have at hand: a web camera; a handycam or a camcorder — even the camera that comes with so many mobile phones.

This is the first time that Monster is enabling video resumes anywhere in the world. And why did they start with India? Because this is where the job market is the hottest these days! So what's stopping you? If you are looking for a job — shoot — and put a face on the bare facts of your resume!

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail