Job Search: Infographic CVs and Video Resumes

Two trends to hit the job hunt are video resumes and infographic curriculum vitaes (CV). What is the difference between a traditional resume and a CV?


According to About.com, "The primary differences between a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) are the length, what is included and what each is used for. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education. While a resume is brief and concise - no more than a page or two, a Curriculum Vitae is a longer (at least two pages) and more detailed synopsis."


An infographic CV takes it one step further, using charts, graphs and other graphics to display information.


An excellent example of an infographic CV is one created by Gareth Case. He has received excellent feedback on the project. According to Gareth, "The majority of us are visual creatures, turned on more by the eye, than the depth of detail. To that end, my CV has attracted some lovely comments and in less than a month, 954 downloads. Would my standard CV have received the same level of interest? No chance. So I am embarking on a new journey, to turn our ‘detaily’ product collateral into slick, one page infographics that convey the essence of our key message in a few seconds, rather than a few minutes."


The blog, Cool Infographics, features a great post examining 16 different infographic resumes.


Video resumes are also a creative way to show who you are to a potential employer.


If done right, a video resume can help you market yourself to potential employers. About.com features some tips on how to have success in create a video resume.


You can find numerous professional video resumes on YouTube. One example is Shelly.


One of the characters, Barney, on the show "How I Met Your Mother" poked fun at the trend, possibly showing job candidates how not to make a video resume.


Although infographic CVs and video resumes may not replace the traditional resume, both of these resume styles are sure to make anyone stand out as a job candidate!

Netflix's PR Nightmare

As far as I am concerned Netflix has ruined their relationship with me as a customer. They did this by charging me for both streaming DVD and mailed DVD services separately, doubling what I was paying before.


First of all I felt blindsided after receiving very little notice that this price increase was coming. Second, it came across as greedy on their part.


The DVDs they offer on the streaming portion are old, not new releases. In a good month, where I have some free time, the maximum DVDs I would be able to receive by mail is five with the one DVD at a time service. Even then there is usually a wait for the new releases.


Why would I pay for both services when I can just go to the Red Box and pay $1 for a movie I know I will have time to watch?


The Netflix company's solution? Re-name the DVD mail portion to Qwikster, apologize and hope for the best. They have already lost over 1 million customers and there stock has dropped significantly. Personally, I don't see this helping their image.


Their actions seem impulsive and rash. I think they need to re-think how to fix the relationships with those 1 million customers they lost, not re-brand themselves.

Social Media and the Job Hunt

As I enter my last year of college, I have inevitably started gearing up for the job hunt. Reading various articles on what and what not to do, I have begun to sense a common theme among what employers are at.

A recent article on Mashable offers 5 tips for managing your social media when looking for a job. The tips include keeping it clean, showing some personality, using various platforms, and connecting with the companies that you want to work for.

I think new job candidates often undervalue the use of social media. Following the company you want to work for and connecting before an interview can make you stand out as well as determine if the company is in fact the type of company you want to work for.

Exploring new social media platforms is also a good tip. Don't limit yourself to Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn, Tumblr and other blog sites are a great way to communicate within an industry.

I feel like it is said a lot, but keeping it clean is very important! Profanity does not get your point across more effectively. Does everyone really need to see the pictures from your friends bachelorette party or you doing shots at the club? Probably not.

While these tips are not anything new, I feel they have been repeated because people are still not getting the hint. Definitely worth taking into consideration whether you are looking for a job or want to keep your current one.

New Look

My blog started out last semester as a project for my Internet PR class. The main focus was the fashion industry using the internet for PR campaigns. 


As I enter my senior year of college as a PR student, I decided to keep my blog going, but in a new direction. The focus will be examining social media and PR from the view of a new professional.

Burberry Reaps Benefits of Facebook Collaboration

Last year Time magazine listed the British brand Burberry as the number one fashion house on Facebook with 1,509,167 fans. As of today, that number has reached over 4,651,907. This strong following is most likely a result of Burberry’s 2009 collaboration with Facebook.

According to Reuters, Luxury goods group Burberry has hooked up with social networking company Facebook to launch a Web site celebrating its trench coat, becoming the latest retailer to use social media in a bid to boost its brand. The Web site, artofthetrench.com, will allow members connected via Facebook to submit images and stories about Burberry trench coats and share them with one other. First designed by Burberry founder Thomas Burberry for British army offices in 1914, the trench coat is still one of the company's top-selling garments.

Burberry also uses their Facebook page to showcase everyday people using their products as well as promote up-and-coming Indie bands.

According to Time magazine, “It's style with substance: those efforts are helping the firm court hip young things who will grow into tomorrow's luxury consumers.”

Burberry is now reaping the benefits of using Facebook in order to reach a new demographic of consumers. They continue to do a great job connecting to consumers using various social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter. They are a great example of how even the biggest companies can connect to loyal customers and engage in one-on-one conversations.

Derek Lam's eBay Collection

Derek Lam had a special treat this Spring for his eBay devotees. The designer created a sixteen dress collection for fans to vote on, as many times as they want, on his eBay site. The top five pieces were announced March 1st and will be available for purchase in May.

The inspiration for the project? The designer’s greatest hits.

"I went back to my archive and said what seems to keep popping up?" Lam told StyleList. "There was a T-shirtdress, the peplum, a bohemian look... It was really a spontaneous project. There was no market research."

And the designer's favorite? "If I had to choose, I love the dramatic long gowns."

Lam recognized his avid eBay followers and marketed a project directly to them. The audience generated feedback is a great way for shoppers to get excited about the new line. Letting fans vote also worked in Lam’s favor by building media hype around the new line. Not only will potential customers view the line to place their vote, but they will also return to his eBay store to view the winners and possibly return again in May to purchase the dress they voted for.

I think this project is an excellent way to build great public relations. The project helped Lam build a mutual relationship with his customers. He not only recognized his loyal customers, but also let them participate in choosing the pieces for his new line.

The project is a fun, fresh and clever way to engage customers and build interest in new products.

DKNY Utilizes Streaming Technology

Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and blogs have all successfully been used by fashion designers to communicate with consumers, but some designers are looking for the next big thing.

According to Mashable, DKNY, Donna Karan’s bridge collection, partnered with BigLive, a new streaming/chat room technology, to bring viewers a preview of the spring collection that would be debuting in stores shortly. Certain items featured in the live fashioncast were already available on dkny.com for purchase during the show. Just over 1,200 viewers actively participated in the DKNY fashioncast hosted by DKNY’s Twitter persona, DKNY PR Girl.

With the endless possibilities of social media and the competitive world of fashion, I think DKNY is proving to be a top competitor by exploring new technology. It was also ingenious to offer some of the pieces for purchase during the show, as well as building hype over pieces coming soon.

Having the even hosted by their Twitter persona was also a clever idea. If viewers were not already avid Twitter users and DKNY followers before the fashioncast, the likelihood of them being so afterward would be increased after building a relationship with the DKNY PR Girl.

In an interview, Mashable asked DKNY, “BigLive is a relatively new technology, why did you choose to use it?”

BigLive was a way for DKNY to connect with a range of customers across its different brands. By using social media tools, they were able to speak in a way that made the most sense for their clientele, said Patti Cohen, EVP of global marketing and communications for Donna Karan International. Thrilled with the results, Cohen said they’d be looking for more ways to use BigLive and reach out through digital tools.

DKNY won’t be the only ones looking for more ways to use BigLive in the future. I think Fashioncasts will be utilized on runways worldwide in the near future.