Resume

Video Cover Letter: Would You Send One?

Video Cover Letter: Would You Send One?
A CAREEREALISM reader recently sent me the following note:
Hello,I wanted to share a video with you I put together this week. The company (Carrot Creative) basically asked that you don't send over a boring cover letter and do something interesting that would get their attention and show your personality. I put together this stop-motion video using carrots and after about 12 hours of work and over 300 carrots, I came up with this. It's already received over 70 hits in the first 24 hours. With this job market you have to do the extra work to stand out from the rest of the applicants. It would be really helpful if you retweeted this or blogged about. Thank you in advance!
So my fellow readers, what do you think? Would you invest the time and energy into creating a video cover letter like this and work to get it promoted on-line just for one job application? 3 Reasons Why This Was a Great Move I love Torrey's decision to do this video cover letter for 3 reasons:
  1. He responded to the challenge of the employer.
  2. He saw it as an opportunity to teach himself a new skill.
  3. He was brave enough to put it out there and ask for help to promote it.
Even if Torrey doesn't get the job, I think he's gained a lot from this experience. I'd say it was a smart move on his part! It really sets him apart as a job seeker. What Can You Do to Respond to an Employer's Challenge? Most employers don't ask job seekers to get this creative. Torrey was applying for a job with a highly creative agency, so this makes sense. But, that doesn't mean you can't think outside the box and create something unique - as long as it is in alignment with the type of company you are applying to. For example, I don't see Torrey's video cover letter working with law or accounting firm, do you? That being said, I ask all of you: What can we do to be more original in our cover letters? Inside CareerHMO.com, we have a video tutorial that teaches members how to give cover letters a F.A.C.E. (Format, Attitude, Commonality and Experience) with some personality so the reader feels more connected to them. What do you do to make your cover letters more interesting?J.T. O’Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com and CEO of CareerHMO.com, a web-based career development company.Image from Bedrin Aleksandr/Shutterstock
Featured