Quick Answer
Uploading a video to your LinkedIn profile allows you to showcase your skills, experience, and personality in a more dynamic way than just a standard resume. Here are the key steps:
- Make sure you have a video file ready to upload. Supported formats include MP4, MOV, and AVI.
- Go to your LinkedIn profile and click “Add profile section” > “Featured”.
- In the Featured section, click the video icon to add multimedia content.
- Select your video file to upload it.
- The video will now appear in the Featured section of your profile.
Keep your video resume professional, 60-90 seconds long, and focused on your top skills and qualifications. Add captions or a transcript to make it accessible. Remember to optimize for mobile viewing. A strong video resume can help you stand out from the crowd.
Uploading a Video Resume to LinkedIn
Adding a video resume to your LinkedIn profile is an excellent way to showcase your qualifications and personal brand. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 740 million members. Uploading a video allows you to go beyond just text and images to present yourself in a dynamic, multimedia format. Let’s look at how to upload and optimize a video resume on LinkedIn:
Choose an Appropriate Video File
The first step is picking the right video file to upload. LinkedIn supports the MP4, MOV, and AVI video formats. Other key considerations include:
- File size – Videos can be up to 10 GB but smaller files (under 200 MB) will upload faster.
- Aspect ratio – Select a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio for best fit.
- Resolution – 1080p or 720p HD video quality is recommended.
- Length – Keep your video resume under 90 seconds for optimal viewing.
You’ll want to select a video that aligns with your personal brand and highlights your top skills and qualifications for the positions you are seeking.
Uploading the Video File
To upload your video resume to your LinkedIn profile:
- Go to your profile and click “Add profile section”.
- Select the “Featured” section and click the video icon.
- Choose your pre-selected video file to upload.
- Fill out the title, description, and allow comments.
- Click “Save” to complete the upload process.
Your video will now be visible in the Featured section at the top of your profile.
Video Resume Best Practices
To make your video resume stand out, keep these best practices in mind:
- Professional appearance and backdrop – Dress professionally and choose an appropriate backdrop like an office.
- Concise content – Summarize your qualifications and skills in 60-90 seconds.
- Engaging tone – Speak directly to the camera and use natural gestures.
- Customized branding – Tailor the content to the desired job roles you are targeting.
- Closed captions – Make your video accessible by adding captions.
- Mobile optimization – Ensure your video looks and sounds good on mobile devices.
Following these best practices will help your video resume leave a positive and memorable impact on recruiters and hiring managers viewing your profile.
Tips for an Effective LinkedIn Video Resume
Here are some additional tips to make your LinkedIn video resume as impactful as possible:
Highlight Relevant Skills and Experiences
Carefully curate the content to feature your most relevant hard and soft skills. Quantify achievements and provide specific examples. Focus on skills that align with your target job opportunities.
Keep It Concise and Scannable
Videos longer than 1-2 minutes often lose viewer attention. Structure your content with clear headings and bullets to make it easy to digest.
Call Out Key Details Visually
Include text overlays, graphics, captions, etc. to highlight important information like your name, job title, and contact details.
Show Personality and Uniqueness
Let your authentic self shine through! Share what motivates you, speak with passion, and incorporate subtle personality elements.
Have a Clear CTA
End with a strong call-to-action, whether that’s encouraging viewers to contact you or visit your website/portfolio.
Check Quality and Accessibility
Review the video closely and run audits to ensure high quality in both visuals and audio. Add captions for accessibility.
Pitfalls to Avoid
When creating your LinkedIn video resume, keep these common pitfalls in mind:
- Don’t make it too long – anything over 2 minutes risks losing viewer attention.
- Avoid complex visuals like charts – focus on communicating simply and clearly.
- Don’t use inappropriate backgrounds with lots of visual distractions.
- Prevent rambling – use a script or talking points to stay succinct.
- Don’t rely only on spoken content – incorporate text and graphics for accessibility.
- Don’t forget your CTA and contact details!
Keeping your video resume professional, polished, and purpose-driven will help it stand out in a positive way.
Video Resume Formats
When creating your LinkedIn video resume, you have a few different format options to consider:
Talking Head
This straightforward format shows you speaking directly to the camera in a professional setting. It has a personal feel and lets your personality shine.
Storytelling
Walk through your background and career journey by weaving in engaging stories and anecdotes. This creates a more narrative, conversational tone.
Portfolio Reel
Include samples of your work like design mockups, programming code, artwork, etc. Set it to energizing music to showcase your skills.
Animated Character
Use animation to create an animated character of yourself. This allows creativity in the visuals to complement your voiceover.
Interview Style
Film someone interviewing you about your background. The Q&A interaction feels natural and can address key questions.
Hybrid
Combine elements like a intro talking head with a portfolio reel, or b-roll overlaid on a voiceover. Mix and match for flexibility.
Optimizing Your Video
To ensure your LinkedIn video resume looks and performs at its best, keep these optimization tips in mind:
Preview on Mobile
Since viewers will mostly be watching on mobile, preview on a smartphone to ensure it displays and sounds properly.
Use Vertical Orientation
Flip your video to a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio which takes up more mobile screen real estate.
Add Captions
Include closed captions not just for accessibility, but also for viewers muting and watching in public spaces.
Insert Teaser Image
Adding a title image that appears before the video plays can help capture attention as viewers scroll profiles.
Boost Audio Quality
Use a lavalier microphone for crisp, consistent audio. Normalize sound levels in post-production.
Trim File Size
Exporting your video at a lower resolution like 720p can significantly reduce file size for quicker loading.
Measuring Effectiveness
Once your video resume is published on LinkedIn, be sure to track its effectiveness using LinkedIn’s built-in analytics:
Views
The total number of times your video has been viewed is the top-line metric. Aim for a high volume of views.
View Rate
The view rate shows the % of profile visitors who watched your video. A rate above 50% is considered very good.
Average View Duration
This metric indicates how long viewers are staying engaged with your video on average. Longer is better.
Shares
The number of times your video has been shared helps gauge wider reach and impact.
Comments
Comments, especially positive ones, are another sign your video resonated with those who watched it.
Regularly evaluating these metrics allows optimization over time for maximum video resume performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common FAQs around optimizing video resumes on LinkedIn:
What’s the ideal length for a LinkedIn video resume?
60-90 seconds is recommended. You want it short enough to remain engaging but long enough to highlight your most relevant skills and qualifications.
What background should I use when filming my video resume?
A professional office setting is ideal. Make sure it’s neat and not distracting with lots of visual clutter in the frame.
How much text and graphics should I incorporate in the video?
Use text and graphics sparingly, aiming for the most important 5-7 words or data points you want to call attention to.
What’s the best camera and microphone to use when filming my video resume?
Use a 1080p HD camera or smartphone and a lavalier or clip-on microphone for best quality audio. Make sure lighting is bright and even.
What should I wear in the video resume?
Dress professionally as you would for an in-person interview – e.g., business formal attire in a solid color that looks great on camera.
Summary
Uploading a polished, professional video resume to LinkedIn allows you to visually demonstrate your qualifications and strengths to recruiters and hiring managers. Optimize for mobile, incorporate graphics, captions and great audio quality. Keep it succinct, personalized and practice good on-camera presence. Measure your video’s performance using LinkedIn’s analytics to improve over time. With an engaging video resume on your profile, you can stand out from the text-only crowd.