Jobhop Jobhop's blog : An Interview With Mark Leruste
Mark Leruste had a goal and that was to land his dream job. The video CV that Mark created helped him to do just that, we had to interview him to find out more.
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An interview with Mark Leruste
Were you job searching before you thought of doing the video CV?
Not really. I’d been for a few interviews here and there but never put any effort into it. It was more to keep me on my feet and see how much I was worth on the job market. Every time it reminded me that I was better where I was. I had updated my CV in 2010 as I had an internal promotion so my conventional / paper CV was up to date.
What made you decide to do a video CV ?
It started with wanting to make an impact. I wanted to change industry in one of the worst economic crisis, so I had to give my future employer a very good reason to take a risk by hiring me. You see, I came from a corporate communication, advertising and sales background, and I wanted to move into the creative side of life. My initial thoughts were to join an advertising agency. That obviously changed along the way.
I was particularly interested in a London based advertising agency, and I knew from an inside source that the only way I had a chance of making it in, was to grab the managing director’s attention. So I decided to make an integrative online CV / platform, where I would have a video resume, a Blog, and a website explaining everything I had accomplished over the last few years, linking all my social media networks on there too (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc).
Were there any challenges making it?
Saying it was a walk through the park would be a total lie! It took a lot of hard work, determination and patience! The hardest thing was to actually commit to something because it’s really easy to fall into a roller coaster of ideas of what could or couldn’t work out. The trouble is once you start pitching your ideas to your friends and family, you start getting influenced by other people’s opinion when really all you should be doing is listening to your inner voice. Only you know what your voice sounds like and ultimately should look like. However I was lucky enough to have two very good friends whom I’ve know since I was a kid: Denis Duvauchelle, who’s a website developer and Mickey Mahut, who’s a film director / editor. I never could have done all this without them. Huge thanks to both of them.
Do you think it’s easier to tell your CV through video or on paper?
I think the best solution is to tell your CV in person. But in order for you to get that opportunity, you need to get in front of the key decision maker and that’s not easy. Sure, you could be lucky and get your paper CV picked up by someone, but chances are that won’t happen.
For some people it might be easier to spill out their career path on paper, for me I need to talk and tell people my story, not write it. I struggle to focus all my thoughts in one place, so conveying who I am and what my values are on one A4 paper is simply not practical. That’s also why I went for a video resume, to make an impact and show people who I really was. Love it or hate it, that’s me and that’s what I wanted to communicate. Video CV’s aren’t for everyone, and I also know my personality isn’t for everyone either. That enabled me to filter the companies that had different corporate cultures and different values than me.
So I would suggest people who like me want to get their message across, not by writing it, but by saying it, to go ahead with a video CV.
What was the response like after you uploaded it?
At first I uploaded it as a private video on Vimeo, as I was in a delicate situation. I was still fully employed and worked with lovely colleagues, so I didn’t want to create an awkward environment. But I quickly realized that I wasn’t getting the impact I hoped for. So when I uploaded it on YouTube and made it public, it made an instant impact. It received over 1,000 hits in the first week and I got some very positive feedback. But I didn’t get any serious job offers. A few companies emailed me and told me they wanted to hire me / meet me, but nothing concrete came out of it and none of them were really what I was looking for.
Did you get a job?
Yes! And not just any job. Thanks to a combination of my Blog, Twitter, Website, Video CV, YouTube and a bag load of perseverance, I managed to land my dream job by joining a men’s health charity. I realised that advertising wasn’t exactly who I was or what I aspired to be. At least not at that point in my life. Rather, I was looking for something I was passionate about, something that would motivate me to wake up in the morning and make me want to look forward to going to work, that’s what I was missing. So by sticking true to my values and to my set of beliefs (make a positive impact, improve men’s health, change the world for a better place, etc), I found the perfect role. I’m passionate about the company and what we stand for, so I couldn’t be happier.
Would you recommend anyone else to do a video CV?
I think it can be a great asset to have, and a really good tool to use when looking to be recruited. Look around on the web and see what’s out there. You might cringe at times but I’m sure you’ll come across some great creative ideas. But again, I don’t think it’s for everyone. Although, I do believe that the conventional CV will soon disappear and will be replaced by things like video resumes, online resume websites or going for a Zoomai.
What do you think the future will be like for CV’s?
As mentioned above, I believe that sooner or later we will all have video CV’s. I organize a workshop called “Connect With Your Creative Beast and Boost Your Online Identity” where I explain to the participants how they can leverage their creative side, fine tune and leverage their online footprint to maximize results. The power of video CVs is a subject I cover in greater detail during the course.
Do you think employers should be more open to video CV’s ?
Absolutely. Like anything, people are resistant to change. It’s something which has been around but hasn’t been well exploited. For example, I knew by making my video CV reflecting what my personality was, that I wouldn’t appeal to everyone. But that’s not who I was going for anyway. I wanted to go for a company that understood me. That shared the same values as I did and that would appreciate what I could bring to the table.
In short, employers need to be more open about video CV’s and also people making video CV’s need to remember that less is often more.
When making a video CV what is your top tip?
Keep it simple, keep it real. Don’t over do it and most of all make sure that you have fun doing it. Also, make sure you know why you’re making it and for who it’s for (who will view it)? The more targeted, the better. Especially if you want to join a specific sector / industry / company. If you’re not sure, keep it general, but I would suggest going specific. If you really want to join a company then go all out. You can always use your video CV for another company and show them what you did.
It’s very easy to fall into a cliché scenario and look ridiculous. So again, think why are you doing a video CV? Who is it for? What do you want to get out of it? And then have fun doing it. Even if you’ve only got a smart phone that records videos and you don’t have a budget for a camera etc. You can still do a basic video CV where employers will want to know more about you. It’s about projecting your personality, who you and what you can bring to the mix. And remember, don’t take too long to tell your story. Keep it short and simple. What you want is an opportunity to see recruiters face to face so you can tell them the full story! See your video CV as just a teaser. Make them want to know more about you.
What does the future hold for you?
I started my new job as New Countries Manager a few weeks ago, so I’ll be helping spreading the word of the foundation globally. I started in May 2012 a new challenge: to exercise every single day for 365 days to raise awareness for men’s health and hopefully become the first average guy to be featured on a cover magazine (www.mylifeinshape.com or Twitter @LifeinShape).
I’m also in the process of finishing a course with CTI (certified by the International Coach Federation) to become a professional coach and hopefully inspire others not to settle anymore and instead, go after their dreams, projects or plans, no matter how big or small they may be. I want to help people quit jobs they hate. And when I find a minute, I’ll finish writing my first book! But that’s a whole different story… To be continued!
Follow on Twitter @markleruste
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