Career Advice Podcasts & Job Seeker Network
Q&A with Visual CV CEO
I was able to follow up with the folks at VisualCV.com about their new resume product. Their CEO Clint Hedien kindly addressed my inquiry.
1. There have been many such services like this to crop up over the past few years all claiming to have "reinvented the resume"...why do they think VisualCV is so different?
We have actually taken the resume and the process of the first interview and put it into a single platform that allows both candidates and companies to engage more quickly and with better results. For instance, a candidate can show work samples (for developers - code; for architects - blueprints; etc), awards (validated with letters and pictures), charts showing performance, verified income, etc. Companies can make better decisions on who will fit their environment and culture and ultimately be a better match. No other site has combined all of this into one tool. In addition, we make it possible for candidates to express interest in a desirable company without having to become a jobseeker.
Heidrick & Struggles who uses the resume as a currency has also decided that the VisualCV "is fresh and relevant to a new generation of leaders," according to Kevin Kelly, Heidrick's CEO.
Finally, we're so much more than a resume, we're actually an everyday online professional profile for individuals to use before meetings with colleagues and potential clients. See my VisualCV which is not a resume, but a BD tool: www.visualcv.com/clintheiden
2. Why do employers need a page on it when they already have their own corporate sites?
This is a way for companies to engage with candidates about their culture and environment. In the fight for talent, it's incredibly important to be able to differentiate in front of candidates - and we have put both parties into a single community at VisualCV. Having a presence on our site also gives companies a reach into the passive candidate pool. VisualCV.com reaches passive candidates, by allowing them to securely and privately register interest in companies they might want to work for.
3. Can you detail the amount of funding you received? What is the business model for revenue?
We've raised just shy of $5M and it comes from Heidrick & Struggles, Valhalla Partners and angels.
Business Model:
- free for individuals
- free for employers at a basic level equivalent to capabilities on the site today (employers can create their own branded VisualCV, can receive VisualCVs, also abiity to search for candidates who have made at least some information searchable)
- after our commercial launch in the spring, we will begin charging employers for enhanced capabilities. These will include ability to create "binders" of VisualCVs who are shortlisted for open positions, then route them around their company to the hiring managers who can make their own annotations on the VisualCVs. We will also charge for premium placement of company VisualCVs (e.g. above the fold positioning when a candidate searches for, say, software companies).
Additionally, we will also make a "white label" private version of the service available to large companies for talent management. This includes companies like consultants and system integrators who frequently have to user paper binders of resumes as part of their pitch for client business. We already have one paying customer in this category (unfortunately we cannot name them right now).
We developed the business model -- and the VisualCV concept itself -- partly in conjunction with an advisory board of corporate and executive recruiters (also job seekers!).
4. Will it always be free for job seekers?
Yes!
1. There have been many such services like this to crop up over the past few years all claiming to have "reinvented the resume"...why do they think VisualCV is so different?
We have actually taken the resume and the process of the first interview and put it into a single platform that allows both candidates and companies to engage more quickly and with better results. For instance, a candidate can show work samples (for developers - code; for architects - blueprints; etc), awards (validated with letters and pictures), charts showing performance, verified income, etc. Companies can make better decisions on who will fit their environment and culture and ultimately be a better match. No other site has combined all of this into one tool. In addition, we make it possible for candidates to express interest in a desirable company without having to become a jobseeker.
Heidrick & Struggles who uses the resume as a currency has also decided that the VisualCV "is fresh and relevant to a new generation of leaders," according to Kevin Kelly, Heidrick's CEO.
Finally, we're so much more than a resume, we're actually an everyday online professional profile for individuals to use before meetings with colleagues and potential clients. See my VisualCV which is not a resume, but a BD tool: www.visualcv.com/clintheiden
2. Why do employers need a page on it when they already have their own corporate sites?
This is a way for companies to engage with candidates about their culture and environment. In the fight for talent, it's incredibly important to be able to differentiate in front of candidates - and we have put both parties into a single community at VisualCV. Having a presence on our site also gives companies a reach into the passive candidate pool. VisualCV.com reaches passive candidates, by allowing them to securely and privately register interest in companies they might want to work for.
3. Can you detail the amount of funding you received? What is the business model for revenue?
We've raised just shy of $5M and it comes from Heidrick & Struggles, Valhalla Partners and angels.
Business Model:
- free for individuals
- free for employers at a basic level equivalent to capabilities on the site today (employers can create their own branded VisualCV, can receive VisualCVs, also abiity to search for candidates who have made at least some information searchable)
- after our commercial launch in the spring, we will begin charging employers for enhanced capabilities. These will include ability to create "binders" of VisualCVs who are shortlisted for open positions, then route them around their company to the hiring managers who can make their own annotations on the VisualCVs. We will also charge for premium placement of company VisualCVs (e.g. above the fold positioning when a candidate searches for, say, software companies).
Additionally, we will also make a "white label" private version of the service available to large companies for talent management. This includes companies like consultants and system integrators who frequently have to user paper binders of resumes as part of their pitch for client business. We already have one paying customer in this category (unfortunately we cannot name them right now).
We developed the business model -- and the VisualCV concept itself -- partly in conjunction with an advisory board of corporate and executive recruiters (also job seekers!).
4. Will it always be free for job seekers?
Yes!
Comment
-
Comment by Chris Russell on February 15, 2008 at 3:22pm -
My visual CV is now online at:
http://www.visualcv.com/chrisrussell/chris
-
Comment by Clint on February 12, 2008 at 11:37pm -
Great question regarding our research. We actually researched this idea for almost 4 years from my days creating a leading recruiting firm and dealing with 100's of clients and thousands of candidates. From there we spent an additional year working with leading technology firms and their HR and Recruiting departments crafting a solution that they would find valuable and cost efficient. Finally, we partnered with the world's leading executive search frrim, Heidrick & Struggles where we fine tuned the offering for their Search Partners, their clients and their candidates. We agree that Video resumes are DOA, but video is an optional component of a VisualCV. In fact, the idea behind 'visual' is to bring the rest of the candidate's portfolio to life in ways never before possible. After making a short list of candidates, videos can become a way to gain a bit more into the persons personality and presence. Discrimination is illegal and we are vehemently opposed to any form of it. However, it exist here and there and can unfortunately be used on a traditional resume very easily. Our goal is to offer great professionals more compelling ways to present themselves and great companies more efficient ways to make long lasting hires.
For more about how we accomplish this please visit our site www.visualcv.com.
Thanks,
Clint Heiden
CEO, VisualCV, Inc.
-
Comment by Miriam Salpeter on February 12, 2008 at 2:45pm -
Chris,
I wonder if they have any research that suggests that employers actually want something like this? Have you seen anything that would suggest there is any demand? My understanding is that the "video" resume is DOA because of the obvious potential to discriminate based on age, race, gender, etc. Plus, since many employers are only willing to offer 7 seconds to glance at a resume, who is going to be following all the nifty links and watching all of the fascinating videos?
I think that the compnay with the next big resume idea will do some research on the end user's end before launching another new product.
Thanks for the info!
Miriam Salpeter
Keppie Careers
www.keppiecareers.com
Job Ads
Jobs in Pods
Badge
© 2010 Created by Chris Russell.
Powered by 
.
You need to be a member of Secrets of the Job Hunt Career Podcast to add comments!
Join Secrets of the Job Hunt Career Podcast