In Goodnight and Good Luck, the movie about Edward R. Murrow’s epic dustup with Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s House Committee on Un-American Activities, there was a great jazz song sung by Dianne Reeves, TV is the Thing This Year. Radio was still king, but television, the new kid on the block, was beginning to exert its seductive power in news and public affairs programming.
Video is the Thing This Year. The pandemic has accelerated this powerful tool’s use and made it more approachable for the masses through videoconferencing tools. Job applicants are now using video to appeal directly to employers, sometimes bypassing the cussed and discussed Applicant Tracking Systems, also known as applicant tossing systems. A one-minute video can elevate an applicant’s standing, especially if they have a good story to tell.
Executives and managers are now using brief videos to connect with potential contacts. Early research from the sales side suggests a higher engagement level with prospective customers when a video message serves as the knock on the door.
In this very competitive job market where most employment doors are closed and locked, you better have an impressive knock. Video may be the thing this year.