Getting work takes work: writing a cover letter, updating your CV, finding your references. Younger candidates might wonder why finding a job in the high-tech workspace is still so old-school.
Inga Rottlaender, a career expert with jobs platform Stepstone, sees that "the younger candidates are used to doing everything mobile on their smartphones."
Recruiting is getting smarter. In a time when professional talent is so in-demand, companies must compete for candidates' attention.
According to the German News Agency (dpa), some firms are encouraging applicants to use the medium of video. On YouTube, for example, you can see many videos uploaded by young people applying for trainee positions at sports giant Adidas.
"Trainees and students can use a video for their application, or they might use other creative formats such as a PowerPoint presentation, a story or an interview. We get to know the applicant better through a video than through a cover letter, which often says little about the person," says Kristina Schulte, a recruiter at Adidas.
The application video concept has been around for a while, but it's much easier today to produce a high-quality video than it was a few years ago.
If you apply for a job using video, don't be too worried about being perfect. Videos help show your authentic self. Applicants can upload their certificates and CVs along with the video, and the job application is complete, dpa reported.
HR expert Silvia Haenig says job seekers should be serious when shooting a video. It should give your potential employers a competent and likeable impression of you. "Creative excesses like wiggles or dancing emojis have no place there," she says.
Look on YouTube for good examples of video job applications. "There are a whole range of good instructions and how-to pieces for creating such short and concise application videos," Haenig says.
She also stresses that the video is only one part of the application: The video opens the door, but the CV is what will get HR professionals to welcome you in.
