Stand Out in the Job Market with a Visual Resume

With the emergence of online presentation creation and delivery technologies like Brainshark, Kineticast, Prezi, SlideRocket, (yes, I know I'm missing a ton) and of course SlideShare, PowerPoint and Keynote presentations have expanded beyond just boardrooms and classrooms.  People have found many interesting and intriguing ways to utilize slide software and online presentation technologies to tell their stories. 

One interesting trend has been the combination of slide software and SlideShare to create a visual resume.  With the economy the way it is in the U.S. and the jobless rate at nearly 10%, job seekers need to do EVERYTHING they can to separate themselves from the other candidates.  While a paper resume sits in a stack of others with similar paper type, color, and font, how can a potential employer really get to know you?

I came across a great visual resume by Saad Ahmed Shaikh, who submitted his presentation for World's Best Presentation Contest 2010.  Check it out below - more after the jump.

My Visual Resume - Saad Ahmed Shaikh (PLEASE VOTE if you like)

While there are a few things he could have done to make his presentation a little better, overall he does a great job. Saad uses a great blend of original fonts, imagery, interesting graphs, originality, and even a little humor.  I don't think there's any argument that a visual resume like this is far more engaging and memorable than a standard resume. 

Have you created or seen a visual resume?  If so, let me know in the comments. 

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Comments

[Jason Miceli]

Excellent idea and example! Unfortunately many resume submission systems require a Word document to be uploaded, but that's not to say this type of visual resume can't also be made available, or even put into Word format if necessary (a bit clunky, but possible). At the least it would be great to have this available online somewhere if you're presently job seeking.

Great stuff!

[Sid]

hey hi... that was a great resume... i liked the concept of a visual resume and prepared one.

You can check out the resume @ http://prezi.com/bfrmbseefn7r/siddhesh-kabe-resume/

would like to hear suggestions for the same

Thanks

[Jonathan Thomas]

Jason,

You're certainly right. A job applicant would have to submit their paper resume like everyone else, especially with automated career sites. But you can add a hyperlink in your resume requesting the employer to visit your visual resume to get to know you better. As long as you can get them to your online visual resume, you'll have the leg up.

[Jonathan Thomas]

Sid,

Good effort, especially with Prezi. While Prezi is a fantastic tool, I've found the learning curve to be relatively large.

My initial feeling is that the Prezi version isn't visual enough. Aside from a few pictures it's basically providing me with the same information on your resume, in text form. It's important information, however on Prezi it takes me far longer to consume the information because of all the clicks.

Your description also spells Prezi wrong, which you'll want to correct. Spelling mistakes can be a disaster when it's part of a resume.

Jon

[jay]

Here's an example of an audio visual resume that I enjoyed from one of our myBrainshark users: http://my.brainshark.com/Introducing-Deb-Matteson-203805150

[jay]

Thinking further on the subject...What role does a presentation play? I think a goal could be to enhance the chance of obtaining the interview - by phone or face to face in person. I think you want to get noticed, be creative, and seperate yourself from the crowd - but you don't need cover everything in too fine detail. It's kind of like a marketing presentation about you and your "brand." A question that comes to mind is once I'm into the interview process, can I use online presentations in other ways to support my candidacy - maybe create a 90 day business plan...that can be sent over, shared around through the hiring team...Very interesting subject - thx for writing on it.

[Jonathan Thomas]

Jay,

I think being unique and using any kind of visual resume is a way to stand out from the crowd. That uniqueness is what you hope will set you apart and result in at least an interview.

I'm not sure I like the model of using both voice and slides, particularly text-heavy slides, that you show in your example. You're delivering the same information just in a different way, but the example you provided was still dry.

If I were to submit a BrainShark type presentation, I would want them to see my face, and to speak in a conversational tone.

I think this video is a great example of providing the same information in a completely different way - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jnCic3RPn0

In this video, the candidate uses no text, and talks about his personal experiences in a tone that doesn't sound like he's reading. It's of high quality and creates a connection between him and his prospective employer.

Of course, the challenge is to get the potential employer to your video, which is no easy task.

Thanks so much for your comments!

Jon

[Erik Posthuma]

Yeah I think the video is difficult to execute for most. It's easier for a potential employer to quickly click through your presentation at his/her own pace instead of being forced into the rhythm and speed of a video.

I made a visual resume as well: http://www.slideshare.net/ErikPosthuma/my-visual-resume-6014643

Great post there Jon!

[Jonathan Thomas]

Thanks Erik.

Great job on the presentation. I left some comments on how you might be able to quickly improve it.