How to Convince Every Company: The Perfect Application Video

More and more applicants are trying to convince job seekers with application videos. In this article, you can read about the advantages of application videos for both companies and applicants and how to create a promising application video yourself.

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In this article you will learn…

• how much potential there is in application videos,
• how to best organize the content and structure of your video,
• how to choose the right location and equipment,
• how to present yourself perfectly in your application video.

Video is becoming more and more popular in the corporate world – moving image content in online marketing (e.g. on your website or social media), with explainer videos for internal communication, or for presenting the product and service with the help of an image film, product videos, or tradeshow videos – making it it perfect for young, media-savvy applicants to take advantage.

However, because companies are increasingly receiving videos in the course of the application process, it’s becoming more and more challenging to make yourself stand above the rest. It’s crucial to learn how to use video to your advantage in the application process.

The Potential of Application Videos.

The videos, which are usually created by applicants themselves, are intended above all to highlight one thing- the unique selling proposition of the applicant . The aim is to present oneself from the best side to get onto the shortlist for a job.

An application video does not replace the classic application, but rather complements it. Cover letter and resumė in written form, as well as attached certificates and assessments, are still an integral part of an application.

As an applicant, you should always keep a central question in mind throughout your application: Why you? Within the mass of applications that a company receives in this era of digitization, it may not be so easy to prevail against the large competition pool.

Elaborately designed and printed applications used to be mailed by the post. Now they are quickly and easily sent through e-mail or uploaded to a company job portal. For companies, this means a huge flood of applications.

Not only do people apply to multiple companies, those companies are also competing with other possible employers for the right candidate and have to expect a more complex selection process and higher costs.

The digital application process is associated with both opportunities and challenges for both applicants and companies. Application videos bring a fresh and authentic breeze to the mountain of applications that a human resources person must view.

An application video not only offers the creative scope that written applications do not offer, but also provides the decisive advantage when it comes to being shortlisted. A video application shows what written applications cannot – personality.

Making Your Video Application Perfect.

Producing your own application video is easier said than done. Because an applicant wants to shine, a high-quality recording and significant content are crucial for success.

Of course, a lavishly produced video looks brilliant, but don’t forget the goal that you are pursuing with an application video. First and foremost, it’s about an impressive portrayal of yourself and your skill sets and less about your talents as a video producer.

The candidate Mark Leruste combines quality, humor, and outstanding skills in his video application.

For a complex production, we strongly recommend that you have your video produced by a professional video production company. There are companies that specialize in the creation of video applications while advising you on the content, storytelling, and style of your application video.

However, producing a video yourself is not impossible for this purpose. It only requires some preparation. Some aspects can be solved easily and others can be researched.

In order for your video application to convince your dream employer to hire you, we have compiled the most important aspects for you.

Organize Relevant Video Content.

Structure.

You can create a video yourself that can be sent equally to all relevant companies . At first glance, this seems to save you a lot of work. However, just as generalized cover letters don’t impress some companies, an application video may not produce the desired results.

If you want to send several companies a video application, you can consider to what extent your video can be divided thematically so that you only have to record certain topic blocks , not the entire video.

We have the following tips for the structure of your application video:

• Create an exciting introduction so that viewers want to learn more about you.
• Build a content framework to give your video application a rounded appearance.
• Divide your video into scenes and various locations.
• Use cuts to visually separate your topics from each other.

You can find out how you can technically manage the editing of video material in the post-production section.

Content.

In the application video, you should not only repeat your curriculum vitae orally, but also present your personality, creating substance to the application.

Since the intention of your application video is to introduce you as briefly and concisely as possible, it is helpful to ask yourself in advance what information may be relevant for a personnel officer of a specific company.

Your first point of contact here is the job posting itself. There you will find most of the crucial information regarding the activity and the type of person the company is seeking. The company’s website also gives you a sense of how the company understands itself.

Tip:

Do not try to adapt to the company, but see which of your characteristics fit the description and the corporate identity.

An honest analysis of your values and those of the company is not only beneficial to you, but also to your company. It is authentic and, at the same time, reduces possible frustration on both sides.

An application video is about the credible presentation of yourself. It is not the time to tell your life story. Instead, go for a more creative or surprise effect in portraying yourself.

Video Format.

Ein weiterer Vorteil bei der Nutzung von Schnittprogrammen: Sie haben mehr Kontrolle über den Auswurf der Datei bei der Finalisierung Ihres Videos. Je nachdem, wie Sie Ihr Video bereitstellen wollen, muss eventuell die Dateigröße oder das Dateiformat besondere Maßstäbe erfüllen.

Another advantage when using editing programs is having more control over ejecting the file when finalizing your video. Depending on how you want to host your video, the file size or format may need to meet some special standards.

Probably the most common video format is mp4, which you can attach to email. You can also download the video file to your cloud, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, and provide a link to download the file. Find out which of the most important video formats you can also use.

We recommend that you simply upload your video to YouTube. If you select “not listed” in the settings, it will only be visible to those who have the Youtube link. However, other video platforms are also suitable for uploading your application video.

A major advantage when uploading to YouTube is not having to pay attention to the file size. Simply upload your video in the highest quality , and YouTube will take care of optimizing your video. You can then embed the video in your documents and link it in the text, or you can embed it on your application homepage.

And Action!

The possibilities are endless. Use the opportunities video applications give you!