A year off? Looked after the children? Been on the road in search of meaning? There are many reasons why CVs today no longer look as straightforward as some personnel managers would still like. Times have changed. Young people in particular want to gain a wide range of experience or go travelling before they start their careers and are happy to accept gaps in their CVs for this purpose. Some also think very carefully or try out first which profession suits them. Does that make them less valuable to the labour market?
Gaps in the CV
No. Not at all. Those who have travelled are distinguished by international experience and probably language skills. Those who have looked after children or relatives can probably organise. And even people who simply have a gap or several gaps in their CV that cannot be named but is a real gap have certainly learned something during this time. Despite the benefits that time off brings, many who are concerned are still sceptical about it and do not know how to “sell” these periods to a:m potential employer:in.
Application video as a solution
We at .garage Berlin have recently started offering our customers the opportunity to shoot a professional application video with us in addition to writing and designing the CV and cover letter. Everything is then placed in a folder containing a screen so that the employer can open the folder and immediately get a picture of the applicant. The advantage of the video is that you can present yourself far beyond the CV. With a video you can show more of yourself, can be convincing, can authentically convey who you are.
Job application
To show you what the whole thing looks like, we have created a sample folder for you here.
Why not just send a video?
You might be asking yourself why you can’t just send a video or a USB stick directly to the mailbox. The answer is: Because your application will then probably be sorted out immediately, because employers naturally protect their network from viruses and how should they know that your video or the stick are free of them?
Cost of the application folder
The next question you will probably ask yourself is about the costs. We have good news for you, because if you have an AVGS voucher, the costs for creating the video will be covered for you.
