In all the hype surrounding video resumes, we all kinda missed a vital step in the evolutionary process. Everyone, that is, but JobCircle.
The 10-year-old site, currently targeting job seekers in America’s Northeast, has unveiled VoiceIntro. The service allows users posting a resume, or anyone already in the system, to call a toll-free phone number and leave a 60-second pitch about their skills to employers searching the job site’s database. Then, an audio file similar to a widget is added to the candidates profile. Resumes with an audio attachment get higher rankings on search results.
CEO Joe Stubblebine says the initiative has received positive results since launching a little over a week ago. Recording an audio message over a phone, he says, is more mainstream when compared to video. Moreover, voice recordings don’t have the stigma of potential discrimination issues plaguing video services.
In fact, this could do just the opposite, he adds. Someone with a foreign-looking name, who might typically face discrimination, can now showcase a competency of the English language that they otherwise couldn’t do with a text-only resume.
The service is free to job seekers and is part of the resume search functionality clients already receive. The company has also filed for a patent that is currently pending.
For more information, and to hear samples, click here.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Interesting concept… but I’m not sold just yet. A month ago or so there was a story in the New York Post about video resumes and the apparent “dud” they’ve become. They’re just not gaining traction with employers. It’ll be interesting to see if this kind of thing takes off, being it IS the next step in the evolutionary process. Totally agree on that front. Search engine ranking improvements or not, if the end audio product isn’t polished and compelling it will likely undermine the candidate’s efforts. (Same goes for video!) Conversely, if the end product winds up sounding like it’s the guy from MovieFone, that probably wouldn’t do much good either….
June 9th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I think audio is smart even though there is little evidence in the marketplace that it will succeed soon. almost 10 years ago you could send audio e-mails but how many people do it?
years ago, bill gaul of destiny group mentioned that he owned patents on using audio in recruiting and maybe video as well. Presumably they would be owned by landmark now.
business process patents have not amounted to much so far on the Internet. Last time I looked monster.com or careerbuilder.com owned a patent for the concept of a job board itself.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:30 am
Nice feature and indeed the missing link from an evolution point of view. However as a jobseekers you have to keep going through the motions (and all the work) for filling out a resume with the jobboards.(on the other hand there are only a few website that offer the service) .
If you have a story to tell to illustrate your CV, why not make powerpoint, upload it to slideshare, add you’r audio there? Then start linking to it from what ever site you put your resume or other credentials on. I haven’t had the time to do so, and are not looking for a gig, but I think it could just work out.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:06 am
i dunno… as someone who looks at resumes everyday, i just don’t know if i have the patience to listen through a recording of one’s voice to describe their skills and abilities - i am pretty sure i can read faster than they speak!
June 11th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I was skeptical, but I have actually found the VoiceIntro helpful. It has given me a comfort level that the candidate can actually communicate something about themselves. I recommend giving it a try.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Yes, very interesting, especially since SavvyPaper has been offering both audio and video services for audio and video resumes from the beginning of the year.
We have several examples of how to use audio.