EVERYTHING is going online. You can shop, file taxes, earn degrees, and in some cases, do your job online. The job search is no different. In addition to online job boards and career sites, social media is adding a new dimension to how job seekers look for work and how employers find qualified candidates.

One of the biggest up-and-coming trends in the job market is the video resume. Competition is still stiff, and more job seekers are looking for ways to make themselves stand out among the sea of applicants. What better way to get a leg up on the large pile of paper resumes and the full inbox of emails with cover letters than by taking advantage of our video-heavy culture?

With most phones capable of recording video, it’s easier than ever to record your own resume. But, is ditching the prehistoric paper method and cueing the camera to record a video resume the way of the future?

Well… Sort of
While job seekers making professional recordings of themselves is a quickly growing trend, it’s not for the reasons you may be thinking. According to video interview service TalentRooser, 89% of employers have not yet watched or considered a video resume.

What is interesting is that TalentRooster also reports that 63% of employers have conducted at least one interview using video services. With the increase in job seeker video profiles, more companies are resorting to interviewing and recruiting through video technology. Large companies like Starbucks and Wal-Mart have recruiters screening video resume sites looking for top, tech-savvy talent.

It’s Up To You
So, should you be firing up the video camera and sending video files to every job opening you learn about? For the most part, try to refrain. If your industry is known for creativity, like fashion, graphic design, advertisement, or entertainment, then consider using your creative juices to make yourself shine. Those looking for industrial or accounting work should think twice before ditching the paper resume.

Employers are looking to video for recruitment and interviewing, so learning how to appear in front of a camera should be an extra tool in your job searching arsenal. More recruiters are looking to video resume sites like TalentRooster, ResumeTube, and GetHired to look for talent. Consider building a video resume to put on some of these sights to boost your online professional image and grab the attention of potential recruiters.

But, there’s a lot that goes into making a good video resume and a lot to consider before making your Barney Stinson quality video.

If You Must
When making a video resume, keep it shorter than 60 seconds. You may love yourself enough to fill 15 minutes worth of footage, but keep it short and sweet with just the highlights of your professional accomplishments. While video resumes can be a strong attention getter, they can give you the bad kind of attention.

Video resumes may not be the norm today, but with video resume hosting sites growing rapidly every year and more companies looking to recruit and interview through the internet, the way we job search in five years could be drastically different. Video resumes could help you get noticed, but they can backfire easily.