Content Communities: While this may sound a little odd and unconventional there are many job seekers out there that are using Youtube.com to find a job. Sounds funny right; how are people finding jobs using YouTube? The answer, believe it or not, is a method that has been around for decades dating back to the time of VHS tapes called video resumes. Historically people would grab their VHS cam coder and make a video that showcased their professional experience, qualifications and interest to a prospective new employer sending in the tape via snail mail. Today with the emergence of YouTube, broadband technology, and webcams being standard on most PC it is relatively easy to create a video resume and simply email it to the prospective employer.
The Good thing about creating a video resume is that if it is done correctly it could make you stand out over other applicants and can be a great way to create a buzz about yourself online. For those of us that don’t have strong writing skills it can be an effective way to be judged on you expertise rather than what your righting on paper. J (For the record I do know that your is being used incorrectly and righting is not a word and that it’s spelled like the ninth word in the last sentence, just trying to see if you are one of those paying attention) Seriously though for those of you those are artists (musicians, actors, or want to be models) web video can be one of the best resources for you to expand your audience to build and create an online buzz about your talents. (It is how Justin Bieber came to be)
The Bad thing about using resources like Youtube is that most video’s that tend to go viral tend to do so for the wrong reasons. A poorly produced or misunderstood video can potentially ruin your chances for employment and make you a candidate for Tosh.O, thus scrutinizing you to possible racial, class-based, age discrimination, or actions that lead to accusations of such discrimination which most employers tend to shy away from. (For those of you that do not know Tosh.O it’s a television show on Comedy Central that basically pokes fun at videos that go viral for the wrong reason)
If you choose to go this route I would only recommend doing so if you have strong presentation and speaking skills. I would also recommend that you have a third party involved to ask you questions about your strengths and accomplishments, so it gives the illusion of actually being in an interview with the recruiter.
Conclusion: Although we have covered information on a few networking sites it is important to know that there are new networks popping up all the time and just because we mentioned a few this does not mean they will be best suited to meet your needs. Everyone is different and only you will know what will work best for you. Wikipedia has provided a list of social networking sites which you can view here, I would also recommend using Google to see if there are any niche networks that co-inside with your career path.
Whether you are a 22 year old service member leaving active duty or a 45 year old veteran, to be successful in today’s job market you must have a presence online. Like it or not the way we go about applying for jobs has changed and if you want to accelerate you search moving forward you must adapt to what employers are looking for. As I mentioned in my first blog if you are not connected to any social media and employer cannot find anything about you on Google, some would believe that you might as well not exists. I know this sounds Brutal and possibly borderline discriminate, but it’s a fact.
I know that there are a few of you that will say “Rob it is BS” and to you I would like to pose one question; how long have you been out of a job? I know it’s hard to adapt to new things especially when you were comfortable with how things were, remember I didn’t make these rules I am just trying to show you a new path to follow. My 3 year old daughters favorite TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba, has a recurring theme that says “Try it, you might like it” and if she can do it, so can we! (That “we” is me included.)
Next week we will start a new topic entitled “who and I” and provide tips on how to create or start an online profile that will work for you.
Thank you for reading and for serving our county!
Rob Barr
Executive Director
Hire A Hero
