Pitches Are Not Video Resumes

by | Aug 28, 2021 | Daily Job Hunt

This post originally appeared as a 8-28 weekend issue of the Daily Job Hunt email. Sign up for kick-butt career hype in your inbox each morning.

Mindset for Success

You Don’t Need Motivation. You need momentum. So get a notebook, and every day, write down what you did to progress on your job hunt. Do at least one (small) thing every day. This is called a Non-Zero Day. It’s how you win.

Not Just Anybody. Would you date just anybody? Of course not. You only date people you’re actually interested in. Job hunting is like dating. Only pursue the select few opportunities you would actually want. Because the reality is that you will only do the work needed to stand out if the job actually excites you.

Meme of the Week

Pitch =/= Video Resume

In case you weren’t aware, we have our very own proprietary video pitch creation tool (100% free for DJH subscribers).

These video pitches blow resumes out of the water completely. Pitches have an 80% pitch-to-interview rate, where resumes barely make 1%.

So yeah, it’s not even close.
And yet…

People keep referring to our pitches as “video resumes.” And it really grinds my gears. They seem to think that a pitch is like a resume, but in a slightly nicer format.

But that’s like saying a phone is just glass and metal in a slightly nicer format.

It misses the whole point.

Pitching is not just another way to list your skills and experiences.

Pitching is about showing, rather than telling.
It’s about selling yourself, like a human, rather than logging your system specifications like a robot.

It’s about showing to one specific company that you’ve done your research, that you’re excited about what they’re doing, and that you, with your unique skills, interests, and background, would be a great fit for them, because you see several ways for yourself to help this company forward.

It’s about saying: “I love what you guys are doing, and I would love to be a part of it. Here’s what I want to do to help your company grow!”

Rather than saying: “I did X in the past and worked for Y years in Z role at Blabla inc.”

It’s about saying: “Please check out these links to some of my previous work.”

Rather than just claiming: “I am a highly skilled professional.”

In short, pitches are to resumes what the iPhone is to smoke signals.

So let me be perfectly clear: if I catch any of you guys using pitches to just read your resume out loud on video, I will personally kick you off the platform!

OK, I’m kidding, but only barely.
Don’t try me. 😉

Go pitch a company, and get yourself hired!

Corné
and the DJH team