The Video Handshake

Assignment Idea and Examples Provided by Beverly Neiderman of Kent State University

It may be difficult to re-imagine the résumé or curriculum vitae, but market competitiveness is leading many job applicants to do just that.  These applicants are sending what are called “video résumés” or “video handshakes” to potential employers—and have been doing so for four years now.  With the rhetorical intricacies of the traditional paper versions of these documents shifting, Beverly Neiderman devised the following assignment for her business writing courses. She justifies her work on the premise that companies like “Alumwire”, “Real Biography”, “Vault.com”, and others do; people are engaging in the practice, and companies are responding to it in a positive way.

Beverly asks her students to compose a short video handshake that would accompany a traditional résumé.  After watching a “YouTube” clip,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz9AODQkmiM, students engage in a dialogue about these handshakes and devise one as part of the course.  And with serious money involved with these, entire websites are dedicated to video applications for scholarships such as http://www.brickfish.com/Default.aspx, students are introduced to a potential new tool to help them understand the rhetorical nature of composing for a job. 

The Assignment

Here is the part of the assignment students receive:

“Assignment #3: Individual Résumé/Cover Letter/Response Letter/Short/Video Handshake

• Research the company, its competition, and the job which you will apply to in this assignment.  These details, such as information about the job, product, salary, location, etc. that are important to know about a company and position before applying or interviewing will be conveyed in a short 60-120 second video handshake.  Do not just repeat the information placed in the résumé.  Instead, use this video medium to present more information about yourself; record yourself as you “sell” yourself—your talents and capabilities—and your knowledge of the company or job.  This will be placed on a CD and presented in class on the day your project is due.
• Create a résumé which will identify your strengths and achievements and present yourself as a qualified person to this business.  Again, use the format presented in the text and covered in class; do not use a template.
• Develop a cover letter to introduce yourself and a response letter as a follow-up to a successful interview”.

Example #1

 

Example #2