During this awful economy, there are so many applicants and so few jobs. Why would an employer choose you rather than resume #1177?  Within that the flood of resumes are many that are impressive.  So how do you break through and win? Not by obsessing about the beautiful font, luxurious paper and chronological order of your printed resume.  Or thinking you didn’t get “that job” because you went to a state university rather than Harvard? 

The differentiator is you!  Not the “you” on paper or the raves you received from your previous employers, but the “you” who looks at the camera and has a sense of humor, is comfortable with the camera, has a winning smile—someone an employer would like to see on staff each morning. 

While your impressive background and previous successes are essential, video resumes are now opening doors.  In fact, polls show 89 percent of employers have said they would view a video resume.  These potential employers also indicate that job candidates gain the edge when their "actions speak louder than words."

So how do you create a video resume? 

The explosion of the BP (British Petroleum) oil well in the Gulf is the worst ecological disaster in history.  It is is also a massive communications nightmare that has raised everyone’s BP (blood pressure). 

On the writing side, BP was required by the government to submit its “BP Regional Oil Spill Response Plan.”  Rather than a pre-prepared, worst case scenario plan, BP quickly cut and pasted a plan together, cobbling from other situations, including one section on how the local walruses, seals and sea otters were affected in the Arctic (not of the Gulf), and quoting a “living” scientist who died years before.

As for the verbal quotes, pick and choose from the gaffes made by the, now, former CEO Tony Hayward.  Some of the more memorable highlights include:

• “There’s no one who wants this thing over more than I do.  I’d like my life back.”
• “I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to have been very, very modest.”
• “We had too many people working to save the world.”

Just as there are fire drills in buildings, there must be crisis drills, with a given scenario, in order to rest assured everyone involved has the mettle to succeed.  No matter how small or large your company:

Let’s be honest.  As much as people hate giving a presentation, it’s no thrill listening to most of them. The first cue we’re in for a rough time?  When the speaker (make that the majority of speakers) begins with “I’m going to talk to you today about (fill in the blank).”  Cue the snooze! 

Then there is that a stack of pages the speaker is holding.  Pages, in full text, indicating the seasons might change before it’s through.  Or the alternative – the speaker balancing, seemingly, hundreds of index cards.  At least we can amuse ourselves waiting for a stack of cards to drop, or for the speaker to become flustered when a card is out of sequence. 

Speakers: how do you capture our attention from the very start when you are already nervous about speaking?  By shocking us as soon as you open your mouth.  By motivating us to listen to you.  Yes, public speaking is the number one fear.  However, it is your first few lines that offer you the greatest anxiety – and threaten us with an anticipated nap.  To avoid dispensing “verbal Ambien," script those lines:

Typically, the person you are e-mailing is juggling 60 to 70 e-mails a day. To capture his attention more effectively: