For most college graduates, today’s job search process can be an absolute nightmare. Their dizzying efforts of sending tailored application after tailored application are often fruitless, resulting in shockingly high unemployment and underemployment among college graduates under the age of 25. But one recent grad took a unique approach to the job search, turning the application process on its head.
His name is Sander Saar, a recent grad with a B.A. in digital media communications, and instead of following the traditional application process, he leveraged his digital media and video skills to bring potential employers to him.
“I wanted to get in touch and join a fast-moving company’s marketing team,” Saar said. “Finding a job can be a real challenge these days and setting oneself apart from ordinary resumes and applicants means doing something no one would expect. Especially among graduate recruitment, one must create something truly unique, which at the same time would demonstrate what I can do and what kind of value I could bring to a potential employer.”
The result was, in Saar’s words, “a kickstarter inspired interactive video CV.” The entire interactive video CV complete with testimonials can be seen at hire.sandarsaar.com, and the video itself can be seen below. (More after the jump!)
Saar said he chose video to present himself to potential employers in the application process because it’s the closest college graduates can get to human interaction and storytelling with potential employers. He added that he chose to make the video interactive because he wanted to give potential employers the power to decide what it is they saw.
“It allowed me to add a little gamification element in the project by allowing employers to decide how they would like to get in touch with me–just meet for a drink, work for free for two weeks, intern or hire permanently,” he said.
But how successful is Saar’s interactive video CV really? According to the recent grad, potential employers are chomping at the bit to work with him.
“After the first day, [I had] more than 15 job and meeting requests, more than 3,000 visitors, more than 27,000 Twitter accounts reached and also reached Hacker News top 6,” Saar said.
In a job market where most college graduates are struggling just to land an interview for a degree-worthy entry-level position, I’d call that success.
Are you a recent grad with a creative idea for nabbing potential employers’ attention like Saar’s interactive video CV? Share them in the comment section!
