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(ARA) - Today's economy is
tough for both job-seekers and employers alike. Mistakes are costly and
time-consuming for both parties. Employers have tighter budgets for
finding and interviewing candidates, and candidates need every tool
available to compete for top positions.
Technology is streamlining the hiring process. Managers use it to
eliminate useless -- and costly -- interviews and prescreen candidates
before bringing them in for in-person interviews. And job hunters can use
technology to distinguish themselves from the pack.
By using a Web-based video interviewing system, hiring managers can view
video clips of job candidates, any time, any place, and share them with
other decision makers. Employers can even compare the responses of
candidates to the same question, further leveling the playing field. The
candidate benefits as well because on camera, personality, enthusiasm and
passion come through, making the case more convincingly than words on the
page of a standard resume.
Candidates need to become savvy about projecting themselves on camera. The
Web is filled with advice on how to perform well in a video interview.
Step one is to dress the same as you would for an in-person interview.
Another tip is to look straight at the camera.
Virtual resumes now resemble social networking profiles with photographs,
active URL links and videos. Online portfolios consisting of images,
video, text and audio come to life, showing what a candidate can offer the
employer. "One of the most common requests we're getting these days from
employers is for students to have their resumes and portfolios available
online," says Debra Pierce, director of career services at Miami
International University of Art & Design.
"Web 2.0 has changed the way employers and job seekers locate, research,
and interview each other," says Marc Scoleri, director of career services
at The Art Institute of New York City. "The Internet has enabled job
seekers to promote themselves through web-based social networking sites
like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. Social networking profiles are
comparable to paper resumes in the sense that they can list the job
seeker's employment information, but a social networking profile can show
an image, video, with live clickable links so it can be e-mailed to anyone
in a split second."
Employers are also using a quick Google search to see if there is any
positive or negative content online about an applicant. For job seekers,
outrageous or unprofessional pictures or videos on a social networking
site can be a deal-breaker for a prospective employer. Therefore, job
seekers need to understand the nature of these social networking sites and
the repercussions they may have on their job search if not used
appropriately.
In this new environment, both sides of the job-hunting process benefit. In
fact, the days of mailing a paper resume to an employer (which never
yielded great results) may be over. Then again, a very creative resume kit
that includes the high-tech elements (including a CD with a video and
links to an online portfolio) delivered via snail mail may be one way to
stand apart from the rest of the pack.
To learn more about The Art Institutes, visit
www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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