🎥 Top Useful Ways Job Seekers Are Using Video Today

How to get the most out of YouTube to get a job.

Hand holding video camera — Photo by Jakob Owens

While there's a good chance you have a smartphone camera capable of recording video in full HD or even 4K, there's an even better chance you've never tried using it as a job search tool.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

In the 2019 JobMob Census, not one person made a video for their job search.

Some people have a fear of being on camera, while some people worry that a video should only be uploaded if it looks professional (and they don't know how to do that).

Others think it takes too much time, and that time will just be a waste on a video that no one will ever see.

Fortunately, there are many successful job seekers who disagree. Here are some of the ways they're using video to get their next job.

Not just videos on how to get a job

The simplest way to use video to get a job is the way you're already doing it: by watching (more on creating in a minute…)

Whether it was from a search result, or an embedded clip in an article, or because YouTube recommended something that other people like you watched, there's a lot of useful job search information and tips you can get from video sites.

1) Videos about getting a job

YouTube is filled with videos of advice about every aspect of finding a job, just one search query away. You already know this, so I won't go into more detail.

I've compiled some of the most popular YouTube job search clips ever, many of which teach job search best practices, such as this one:

2) Expert responses with personalized advice

Many job search experts and coaches will take your questions and feedback requests and then respond with personal advice.

Their responses may be in real-time on live streams that are then available for replay whenever you like, or they may just post video responses.

3) Video research of companies you may want to work for

One way to keep your job search short and avoid taking a job you'll hate is by targeting companies early, and one of the best places to research companies is by watching videos posted by them, and videos posted about them (such as news items, charity mentions, events, etc.).

4) Video job openings or job descriptions

Your video research may even lead you to discover relevant, open jobs at an appealing company, posted on YouTube by that company. You just need to look.

5) Real job interview video examples

Preparing for a job interview isn't only about imagining how you'll respond to common job interview questions, it's also about getting a feel for how interviews can and should play out.

This is especially important if you haven't had many job interviews recently (or ever) and videos of both good and bad interviews can help by giving you a real sense of what it'll be like when you're getting interviewed.

6) Mock job interview videos

A mock job interview video is a fake job interview video.

It can be a clip of a staged job interview used to demonstrate best practices and mistakes to avoid, or a recording of a practice job interview in order to provide feedback for the job seeker trying to improve their interview skills (and if you're the one being recorded, keep the video private once it's been posted or don't publish it at all).

Here's a virtual mock interviewer you can use to simulate a job interview by speaking aloud to your screen:

That's 6 ways to get a lot of job search help out of YouTube by sitting back for the most part.

However, if you really want to set yourself apart and make a great impression, you need to be creating videos.

7) Job search vlogging

The easiest kind of video you can make is to just prop yourself in front of your smartphone and share a job search story. It could be an update about how your search is going or it could be a way to crowdsource feedback from a community of followers:

8) Show off your skills and grow your brand

YouTube and similar sites are the ultimate virtual work portfolio if you use video to show off your expertise and attract job offers from companies who need people just like you.

This could be an ongoing channel, or just a one-off video that clearly demos what you can do.

In 17 Creative Targeted Resumes That Got Quick Job Interviews, Margaux Barre recorded the story of how she organized a tasting event at a famous French cookie company she wanted to join as an event coordinator, and that was enough to get a job interview there:

She ultimately wasn't hired, but her video lives on to impress other employers moving forward.

9) Video elevator pitches

An elevator pitch should be just long enough for you to say who you are and what you can do for a person next to you in an elevator, which comes out to roughly 30-60 seconds.

A clip of yourself giving such a pitch serves as a video professional summary that recruiters can watch quickly:

10) Video resumes

Sometimes called visumes, a video resume will be understandably longer than an elevator pitch.

What do you say in a visual resume? The best ones visually show off the achievements and skills your written resume can only describe:

But video resumes don't need to be as creative as Matthew's to still be effective:

11) Video job applications

The best job applications explain to an employer how the applicant is fully qualified and likely to succeed in the role needed.

The best video job applications show an employer how the applicant is fully qualified and likely to succeed in the role needed, with a highly targeted video created just for that one employer and which demonstrates the skills the employer is looking for.

That's exactly what Benoit Finck did with his video job application for the Darewin PR agency who eventually hired him:

12) Video testimonials from references

Normally, you prepare a list of references to hand or send to an employer so they can check your qualifications by speaking to people who've worked with you.

With video references, you can post clips of those people speaking about you, saving employers time from having to reach out to them (possibly avoiding the employers asking a question your reference may not be able or willing to answer).

This young fisherman had been looking for a job for 4-5 months before an industry friend posted this video profile about him: