A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

The web continues to be a fresh and dynamic medium for executive job seekers, and it’s a truly rich medium that supports audio and video as well as the printed word. So in building your online presence, you have to think outside of the text box and embrace new approaches to deliver your personal brand message. Remember, the medium is the message, so you need to move beyond presenting plain text to carry your message and think about images, sound, and video.

In our last entry, we talked about building your online portfolio. Obviously, as part of your online brand, you want to present your credentials, your work philosophy, key market messages that differentiate you from the competition, a photo, etc. However, a growing trend is producing video podcasts as part of your portfolio. The next best thing to a face-to-face meeting is presenting your message in a video. A number of job seekers are starting to post their video resumes on popular public sites like YouTube, or there are emerging online video posting sites such as RecuiTV.

The mistake that many job seekers make is trying to force a video podcast to do the job of their resume. Building your brand requires the three e’s: extract, express, and exude, and producing a web video is your opportunity to exude. Video is a poor medium to present details about your professional credentials, but it is a great medium to give prospective employers a flavor of who you are as a person. Video profiles should be about the packaging, not the substance, but you still should be careful about pushing creative boundaries.

A recent story broadcast on National Public Radio demonstrates the pros and cons of taking creative risks with video resumes. The story compares the clever promotional approach of Trent Willis, whose online profile “Do You Really Know Trent Willis?” is a clever parody of a political ad, the ideal foil to get the attention of lobbyists who might hire him. Compare this to the unfortunate video CV of Aleksey Vayner, “Impossible is Nothing,” which has received widespread ridicule for missing the mark in trying to create a message that would appeal to financial institutions that might hire him. Remember our previous comments on digital dirt? Well the same goes for video footage that you post to bolster your portfolio – make sure that the video is relevant to the image you want to create, and you aren’t setting yourself up as a contestant on American Idol or worse, The Gong Show.

When hiring at the executive level, C-level managers are often trying to gauge who you are, rather than what you can do. If you have made it to the senior management level, it’s assumed you have the expertise; the real question is about your character and whether you are good fit for the organization. A video profile is an ideal way to tell people who you are, ideally without having to resort to juggling chainsaws or singing karaoke.

I agree with Mark Hovind, founder of JobBait.com who edits (and occasionally hosts) video profiles for clients. “What goes on a video clip is your passion,” says Mark. The objective of a video clip as part of a portfolio is to present you as a breathing person, separate from your credentials. Mark believes all you need is a short, impromptu video clip that speaks to who you are, your passion, and how you handle yourself. He also believes that scripted videos are the worst, since executives seldom read scripts well and tend to be stiff or freeze. Rather than delivering a State of the Union address, he suggests you use the Academy Awards approach and tie your passion to a few key messages that link back to your core brand.

Once you have a video hosted as part of your brand portfolio, use it! Include links in communications to prospective employers, colleagues, friends, and family. Make sure you take advantage of the viral effect of the Web and get your brand out there. Flog your blog!

Coming up, I will share some of the insights offered by Ross Macpherson in the latest entry in our Experts Connection teleseminar series. Ross is an expert in delivering your brand in an effective interview that closes the job.