Part 1
A video resume is a short video which a prospective employee creates and which is aimed at describing the qualifications and skills of an individual to potential employers. To that extent Robert did the best job. Some of the features in his resume which appealed to me were the setting of the video, its background speaks volumes about the passion he has for his career. Subsequently the way he communicates his abilities and experience is coherent and straight to the point. This would certainly capture the attention of a prospective employer.
I believe that the use of this method to market one’s abilities is a good idea for soliciting interviews from job targets such as companies. Consequently, a person need not travel for long intricate distances in order to reach their target. It is an effective medium for showing once talent. Take for instance persons pursuing careers in sports, singing, dancing and acting, in such cases it is more valuable to use a resume which would be much suitable. Further, when it comes to screening candidates by the likely employer it is much easier to screen video resumes as compared to traditional paper resumes. It would be correct to say that employers prefer video resumes which are a channel that has largely been accepted.
However, its effectiveness or otherwise is purely dependent on the person that opts to use of this channel to advertise their skills. A job seeker should also keep in mind that the video is not meant to earn them a job but rather to increase chances of getting an interview. It is also imperative that a job seeker a reliable video resume website since there are a multiple of them and make sure the video is posted in the website’s database. The websites then market the application. The advantage of this is that the employers are likely to search the databases of these websites whenever there are job openings so that they can find applicants with specific expertise in their area of specialization. The foregoing are compelling reasons why I would strongly consider using video resume as compared to paper resume.
Part 2
Question 1
The main theme that is captured by the application letters is that many of them they are in response to job advertisements that the applicants think perfectly fit their abilities and skills. This gives an important lesson that a person seeking employment should always respond to job adverts which relate to their skills and abilities. As such, one is best advised never to ignore advertisements since one could find an ideal job.
Question 2
It is important to make friends and business contacts in the business world because as a matter of fact, many business opportunities come from friends as well as colleagues. This is mainly because friends are most likely to spread the news of a person’s business to their acquaintances thereby creating a network through which one would potentially net more customers for the services one renders or goods produced. Friends are also likely to inform one of the job opportunities or openings. It is also common knowledge that a person is more comfortable while dealing with a friend rather than a stranger.
Question 3
A person cannot just assume that their reference would give good references when contacted by prospective employers. Hence, it is important that one picks their references with great care and not to restrict himself to only former employers. However, if one is not sure it is utmost important to make sure that the referee knows more information and this can be done by drafting a statement for the reference to read so that he does not contradict the application or what one says in a job interview. One can also ask a friend to be a reference since a friend would generally be in possession of more information regarding his friend.
References
Baron, Naomi S. Always on: language in an online and mobile world. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2008. Print.
