The media fall all over themselves when someone suggests something new. In fact, they do more than that. News outlets like Time magazine actively promote products and services that potentially yield them more revenue. Time partners online with CNNmoney.com, which sells jobs to Time's readers via CareerBuilder.com -- one of the biggest career rackets going. In early 2007, Time ran the story, It's a Wrap, You're Hired! The article includes links to six web sites that offer video resume services. Here are a few key quotes:

"[Video resumes] may just revolutionize the job-search process as we know it."

"So who will be the YouTube of video resumes?"

"Once the rest of the YouTube generation enters the workplace, 'video resumes are going to be as ubiquitous as PDAs or iPods.'"

That last quote is from a guy who is hawking video resumes: Mark Oldman, co-president of Vault.com. Vault has an entire section devoted to video resumes. The page leads with, "Video resumes work! Submit your video resume on Vault.com."

While the Time article discusses some of the problems with video resumes, the pitch is clear. Right at the top of the article are six links to sites that provide video resume services. And the title of the article says it all.

The trouble is, Time is wrong, and so is Vault. There is no real evidence that video resumes work. But this is a high-end public relations juggernaut. Read on.

CareerJournal, the jobs arm of the esteemed Wall Street Journal, has never had a problem compromising its editorial integrity. Its articles are advertorials. The thrust is to leverage the WSJ's status as a prime business news outlet to sell job listings. The CareerJournal routinely trades "exposure" (translation: advertising within editorial copy) for articles from and about career firms, which it runs as advice and news.

In Video Resumes Are Taking Off (also published in early 2007), "life coach" Pamela Mitchell promotes the product: "Depending on the industry and a particular position you're applying for, it can be a very effective tool." Where's the evidence? Although the article hits on some of the problems with video resumes ("If privacy is a concern, don't upload your video to video-sharing sites such as YouTube or Google Video, although there's no guarantee it won't end up on those sites." Oops.), it pointedly tries to spark a trend: "Video resumes are taking off, spurred by the combination of widespread broadband Internet usage, higher-quality video technology and increased enthusiasm for online video sharing. And young job seekers -- who may be long on enthusiasm but short on experience -- can use this technique to get an edge up on the competition."

Taking off? Really. Whew! Is that an advertisement, or what?

Let's cut to the present. The results are in. Sorry, Mark Oldman, video resumes aren't as ubiquitous as iPods. Even the public relations flacks can't sell a rotting fish. From last week's MSNBC.com, Dying to get that job? Don't use a video resume:

"Experts point out that video resumes rarely play a big role in the hiring process. Some hiring managers don't even care to watch them." Duh. I imagine some poor personnel clerk, who routinely skims resumes at 30 seconds apiece, looking at an e-mail inbox full of 5-minute videos.

But if employers aren't going to waste their time watching videos, why are we even talking about this? The MSNBC.com article goes on to explain where the push is coming from: "Yet many job listing and career Web sites seem to be pushing video resumes for everybody. Many have devoted special sections to video resumes. Careerbuilder.com encourages applicants to show off their personalities. Vault.com claims video resumes could give you an edge in a competitive job market."

Recognize any names there? When MSNBC tells you it's dead, it's dead, because even MSNBC can't make a dime off it. Then the hook is exposed. The article reveals the attraction to video resumes: "Ambitious applicants facing fierce competition want something to stand out from the crowd and land that dream job." Yep -- they're desperate. They'll spend $15,000 on junk career management services (See The Executive Marketing Racket: How I dropped ten grand down a hole), and they'll buy video resumes, too.

This brings me to what prompted this column: The solicitations I now get from public relations hacks who work for under-funded small-fry "companies" sucking up the wash water of the big guys. Consider this flack e-mail, for MyCredentials.com (I reprint it word for misspelled word):

"Now, college students, or any job seeker can offer perspective employers a COMPREHENSIVE view of their qualifications - including images, video or audio of past collateral or even a video-referral from a previous employer or colleague. Companies love this concept as it allows them to SAVE TIME and SAVE MONEY since they can now get a holistic view of potential candidates."

Note the emphasis on multimedia resumes. Note that we've hit rock bottom. MyCredentials.com is a junk site full of Overture link ads (a Yahoo! company that will put ads anywhere) whose ownership is hidden. Someone is trying to create buzz before spending a dime to start a business.

Why did all these career sites spend so much money honking about a product that's a fantasy? It's simple. The career sites are not about landing jobs or hiring people. They are about selling data bases full of chewed and rechewed garbage. Their business is keeping the hopper full. The career sites are about increasing page views. Video resumes keep viewers on the page longer. That yields higher ad revenue. Get it? Your success has nothing to do with it. (Don't believe me? The facts haven't changed. See CareerBuilder: Is it for dopes?)

So, that's the story. Should you submit a video resume? I promised you two reasons why not. Managers hate reading resumes. Do you think they're going to settle in for the afternoon to watch you and 200 other "with it" applicants on video? And what about the human resources department? Video resumes create a trail of potential discrimination based on how you look. That's the legal argument I promised you. Nuff said. If you're going job hunting, don't put yourself on camera -- Put a Free Sample in Your Resume.

Now for some disclosure: On asktheheadhunter.com I run ads generated by Google, with the most offensive big job-board sites blocked. Google picks the ads, and everyone and their brother are hawking their wares. The ads are clearly marked "ads." Caveat emptor. My readers are pretty smart. The question is, how alert are you when you're reading articles where the editorial content is sprinkled liberally with links to questionable services? You won't find that here. Be careful out there.

Best,
Nick Corcodilos
Ask The Headhunter®