Once you have recorded the majority of your video resume, your attention will shift toward its conclusion.  The manner in which you end this recording is of the utmost importance.  Fail to conclude your video resume in an artful manner and you won’t make a positive lasting impression on the hiring manager. 

End your video resume the right way and you will dramatically increase the odds of obtaining an interview or at least warranting serious consideration for an interview down the line.  Let’s take a look at the best way to end your video resume.

Express Gratitude

Above all, the most important part of the end portion of your video resume is expressing your gratitude.  This is your opportunity to thank the hiring manager or other viewer for watching the entirety of your video resume and considering you for the open position. 

Aside from giving thanks for the consideration, you should also implement a call to action.  Make it crystal clear that you would like to proceed to an interview either in-person, over the phone or through a video conferencing service such as Zoom. 

Provide your contact information including your name, phone number and email address so the hiring manager can quickly and easily reach out to you to schedule an interview. 

Thankfully, the Showreel app makes it easy for employers to contact job candidates.  Our service’s app features an embedded means of contact within video resumes.

Record Your Video Resume’s Conclusion Until You get it Right

There is no need to rattle off the entirety of your experience, accomplishments and call to action in a single take.  Rather, you can record the end of your video resume several times until you get it just right. 

Keep in mind these are the last words the viewer will hear from you so it is imperative that you present yourself in a professional manner that makes a positive impression on the hiring manager. 

Speak slowly, clearly and confidently.  Make it clear you are comfortable verbalizing your thoughts, enjoy speaking in front of others and relish the opportunity to communicate in a clear and cogent manner.  Such a positive end note greatly increases the chances of the employer reaching out with an interview invitation.

Reaffirm Your Excitement

Though it is prudent to speak slowly and clearly enunciate every word you speak to end your video resume, you should not communicate in a manner that has the potential to depress the viewer. 

Instead of capping off your video with a monotone expression of gratitude and running through your contact information, seize the opportunity to demonstrate your excitement for filling the open position.  Make it clear you have a passion for the line of work in question and are eager to interview for the position.   

This is your opportunity to reaffirm your passion and excitement for the open position, presenting yourself as an energetic, lively and motivated professional.  State you are confident your skills, background and education are the optimal match for the open position as well as the organization and its culture. 

Smile!

It is a mistake to be expressionless as you end your video resume.  Seize the opportunity to put your beautiful smile on full display as you provide the hiring manager with your contact information and communicate your passion for the work in question. 

The final seconds of the video should come to a close with a clear picture of you smiling.  Do not grin ear to ear or smirk.  Rather, smile as you normally would in a professional setting, hold that smile for at least a second or two and end the video. 

This artful way of ending your video resume makes a powerful last impression that will ultimately motivate the hiring manager to contact you to coordinate an interview and seriously consider adding you to the team.

The Shorter, The Better

The conclusion of video resumes should be short.  Do not spend more than 30 seconds ending the video.  Keep in mind the best video resumes are 90 to 120 seconds in length.  So don’t invest one-third of that limited time in ending the video resume. 

Ideally, thanking the viewer and providing your contact information to facilitate an interview will take 20 seconds or less.  If you drag out the conclusion, there is a good chance you will bore or alienate the viewer. 

Furthermore, a lengthy conclusion creates the potential for the hiring manager to consider you to be somewhat of an inferior candidate.  After all, candidates who invest the majority of the time detailing their accomplishments and skills related to the open position are much more likely to score an interview than a candidate who uses one-third or more of the time devoted to the video resume to communicate their call to action. 

Keep it brief, get to the point, smile and you will succeed in making a lasting impression that boosts the likelihood of the hiring manager calling you to schedule an interview.

Consider How Others Perceive Your Video Resume Conclusion Before Submitting It

Share your video resume with others, particularly those who have worked in leadership roles or in human resources before sending it out to prospective employers.  Ask those in your professional and social spheres to pay close attention to the end of the video. 

Request that they take notes about their lasting impression of the video as it comes to a close.  Carefully consider viewer feedback before moving forward with the transmission of your video resume to hiring managers. 

If necessary, edit or re-record your video resume in full or its end part to ensure you make the intended impression and hike your chances of receiving an invitation to interview for the open position.  Do not stop improving your video resume until you are certain it is perfect.   

Once you are content with your video resume along with its conclusion and those who you trust are also impressed with it, you will have the confidence necessary to send it out to employers knowing they will view you in a positive light and seriously consider you for the open position.