Janice Worthington MA, CPRW, JCTC, CEIP Send Janice a Question

JobBoards.com’s First Interview Video Clips - How to Gain the Competitive Edge In 1973 I began my career as an executive recruiter and later became a job search coach. Having been on both sides I understand what motivates a prospective employer to prefer one candidate over all others. Those of us that have hired employees know that while qualifications matter, the strong delivery of those qualifications, combined with equally important information defining a candidate’s personality and temperament ultimately determine the decision. Nothing touches a hiring manager more than an instant sense of compatibility with a company’s personality. We tend to agonize as we begin to realize the importance of résumés. Traditionally the résumé serves as the entire first impression, not only transmitting information regarding a candidate’s qualifications but also sending the message that the candidate is personally in sync with the position that the employer is seeking to fill. It’s tough to give a résumé personality. How do you give your cover letter a face or a voice? How do you adjust a voice level or amplify an enthusiasm indicator in a résumé? Millions of candidates have submitted paper and electronic files in the hopes of securing an interview, and in the midst of the toughest job market in two decades, kudos to JobBoards.com for presenting their candidates with the method to gaining a strong competitive edge, First Interview Video Clips! Without question JobBoards’ First Interview Video Clips will immensely help employers better identify the best candidate, but at the same time, with Video Clips today’s candidates, struggling to "get in the door," will gain an edge they normally don’t enjoy! Here’s my take: Employers are looking to see your message. If employers are able to see you they will better be able to hear you and will be listening. Each time an employer evaluates a candidate from a résumé, cover letter or interview, the candidate’s most compelling point will be what he brings to the table. Do you have 15 years in the plastics industry? Do you have expertise in quality control? Have you saved your company thousands of dollars? Don’t take the chance of valuable offerings getting lost in a stack of paper. Deliver your message by video! Have passion in your message and then say something. We all like to work with people; we are all hard workers and we all want opportunity for advancement. Script an original message that defines who you are, what you are looking for and what distinguishes you from others. Finally, practice...practice...practice. Make yourself job search beautiful. Don’t worry about the incidentals. The visual perception of someone who can perform for a company is in no way related to hair color, eye color or skin color. When projecting what you can do to regain a company’s market share there’s no such thing as a bad hair day. Whether we find ourselves unemployed or simply desire to explore our options we will all look for jobs at some point in our careers. If we remember the competitive nature of job search, a First Interview Video clip will be our first step toward successfully winning the job offer.

Janice Worthington is President of Worthington Career Services, Ohio’s oldest resume preparation firm and one of the oldest in the U.S. With 14 years of corporate recruiting experience, Worthington Career Services opened its doors focused on applicant empowerment in 1973. She is known for advising some of America’s highest-ranking industry leaders. Please send Janice your questions at janice@worthingtonresumes.com .  For more information on Janice, please visit her website at http://www.worthingtonresumes.com/!