Video resumes are beginning to catch in the job search community. This can be seen on the internet more readily than anywhere else, where career related websites such as Monster.com have added pages for such on-screen applications.

More of a self-promoting commercial than a list of past work experiences, allow employers to see aspects of a person personality that don’t necessarily translate well to paper and ink, such as speaking skills and enthusiasm. Because of this, this new format is becoming increasingly popular in career fields that require advanced communication skills.

The difficultly lies in making a video resume look professional. Although plenty of software exists to assist in the editing process, many of these new digitalized applications come across as poorly done low budget films, with bad lightly and worse scripts.

A video resume isn’t something one does cold, without prompts, in one sitting. It is important to plan the dialogue to avoid rambling or drawing a mental blank. For the same reasons, multiple takes might be necessary.

Although some form of script is needed for video resumes to appear professional resume, one does not want to appear to be reading cue cards. In the optimal situation one should come across as conversational, as if they were on a job interview. Many individuals find it to their advantage to include examples of their prior work such as examples from slide shows done for previous projects or clips of speeches given.

But remember, employers have a limited amount of time to view an often unlimited stack of resumes, so keeping it concise and to the point if preferred. Despite the fact that employers use video resumes to get a better idea about the candidates personality, this is not the time to show off one’s eccentric collection of garden gnomes or anything else that does not pertain to the job.

Considering the creative talent that can go into a good video resume, some feel that this format may be biased against those who lack in technical abilities. Another concerns is that video resumes maybe used by some prejudiced employers to screen out individuals using completely non-work related criteria such as gender, race, or physical appearance.

One must remember that, if an employer were apt to do this, then these individuals would likely fall victim to such judgmental behavior at the job interview. In circumstances as this, the same anti-discriminatory laws that protect applicants in other situations should still be in effect.