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Video curriculum...a new marketing tool?
Thread poster: Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:13
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
May 19, 2012

Hi everybody,
I just wanted to share with you my Video-CV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqfTduTDC5U&feature=g-upl

What do you think about this new kind of marketing material?
Do you think agencies would appreciate it? Or do you think nobody really cares about what we have to offer, and look only at our rates?
Any feedback is very welcome.
I
... See more
Hi everybody,
I just wanted to share with you my Video-CV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqfTduTDC5U&feature=g-upl

What do you think about this new kind of marketing material?
Do you think agencies would appreciate it? Or do you think nobody really cares about what we have to offer, and look only at our rates?
Any feedback is very welcome.
I wish you a nice week-end,
Bruno
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Abdelhady Hamid
Abdelhady Hamid  Identity Verified
Egypt
Local time: 12:13
English to Arabic
+ ...
It is really wonderful May 19, 2012

Dear Translator,

Really, you did a wondeful thing that should be appreciated.


 
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:13
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks Abdel! May 19, 2012

Abdel hady Hamid wrote:

Dear Translator,

Really, you did a wondeful thing that should be appreciated.



You are the second viewer of the file ever (after my girlfriend), and I hope others will appreciate too!
However, if you have critics to make, please go ahead..
I wish you a nice evening.
Bruno


 
Fabio Descalzi
Fabio Descalzi  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 07:13
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
+ ...
Great tool May 19, 2012

Hi Bruno,

You are using a wonderful tool. Congratulations for your video!

I think you should try distributing this among potential direct clients, say: medicine doctors, medical associations, hospitals, clinics, etc. Some of them will be interested in WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER.

Good luck!

Fabio


 
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:13
Member (2006)
English to Polish
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
A few comments May 19, 2012

First of all - very interesting idea, proably with huge potential.

A few things which I would change

Technical:
- blanc wall behind you does not lok very well -
- text at the bottom of the screen (and logos) cut your hands

Content
- I thik that it could be good to start with a few strong points - just to give viewer greater motivation to watch on and choose you
- I had a feeling (of course I may be wrong) that you concentrate too mu
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First of all - very interesting idea, proably with huge potential.

A few things which I would change

Technical:
- blanc wall behind you does not lok very well -
- text at the bottom of the screen (and logos) cut your hands

Content
- I thik that it could be good to start with a few strong points - just to give viewer greater motivation to watch on and choose you
- I had a feeling (of course I may be wrong) that you concentrate too much on why it is important to have a good translation instead on why YOU will prvide a good translation.
- I am not sure if 3 min is not too long, I have a feeling that it would be better to squeeze everything in 2 min. tops.

Well - you asked for comments so here they are but in general I must say that it is a noce innovative idea and one which could bring you clients.

Good luck!
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Fabio Descalzi
Fabio Descalzi  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 07:13
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
+ ...
Really...? May 19, 2012

Stanislaw Czech wrote:
- blanc wall behind you does not lok very well -
- text at the bottom of the screen (and logos) cut your hands

Hi, Stanislaw.

Let me kindly disagree with these two aspects you would change:
- Blanc wall = no disturbance, cleaner image. And the "only" thing to pay attention to is... Bruno.
- Text "cutting hands": maybe the gesture of the hands is important, but I don't think it essential to show the hands 100% of the time.

My 2 cents.


 
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:13
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for your comments Fabio and Stanislaw! May 19, 2012

I know the setting it not that great, and also the light could be better, but I did it alone, without any professional help..my next video I will surely improve this things.
Stanislaw, you are right, surely I could have done better from the communicative point of view, stating more the difference of my service and highlighting strong points.
I am not a born communicator! But I will surely think about your suggestion and try to improve on these points.
By the way, I have done th
... See more
I know the setting it not that great, and also the light could be better, but I did it alone, without any professional help..my next video I will surely improve this things.
Stanislaw, you are right, surely I could have done better from the communicative point of view, stating more the difference of my service and highlighting strong points.
I am not a born communicator! But I will surely think about your suggestion and try to improve on these points.
By the way, I have done this with Power director 9, which is a really user-friendly software. I do recommend it.
I have a proposal for the translator community..Why don't make a video-cv contest?
That would be something really interesting and funny..I mean, when we don't translate or have a pause from work, we could rate others' video-CV and relax!
I will propose this to the site staff..
Thank you again and have a nice evening!
Bruno
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Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 11:13
French to English
+ ...
Personally, I don't think it's good May 20, 2012

Bruno, no offence meant, but I can think of quite a few reasons why your clip is not a good marketing tool:
1. Potential clients choosing between you and others want to spend as little time as reasonably possible on each candidate. Watching a video takes much longer than reading a document with an equivalent content, so you are positioning yourself as a time waster.
2. Placing this clip on Youtube looks a bit unprofessional to me.
3. Video is a big volume of data. Even on a b
... See more
Bruno, no offence meant, but I can think of quite a few reasons why your clip is not a good marketing tool:
1. Potential clients choosing between you and others want to spend as little time as reasonably possible on each candidate. Watching a video takes much longer than reading a document with an equivalent content, so you are positioning yourself as a time waster.
2. Placing this clip on Youtube looks a bit unprofessional to me.
3. Video is a big volume of data. Even on a broadband channel, it may occasionally stall, spoiling the impression.
4. A "talking head" (that's a TV industry jargon) on a neutral background is one of the least efficient ways of presentation and looks very archaic, reminding of TV news 40 years ago.
5. The jittery "old movie" image in the first few seconds looks irritating. Furthermore, I suspect it may drive people with epilepsy into a seizure. The flickering lines in the captions are also irritating; I understand you used them to draw viewer's attention, but this is way too strong a stimulus.
6. You have a strong non-native accent - why advertise it?

Bottom line: if you feel you have to reach people with a strong preference for visual perception, make a good Powerpoint presentation instead.


[Edited at 2012-05-20 13:23 GMT]
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Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:13
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Anton! May 20, 2012

You have surely hit good points.
Indeed, it is true that a video may be something like a time-waster, particularly for translation agencies, but is also true that may offer additional informations apart from those stated on traditional curriculums.
Apart from this, I don't agree with the fact that you tube is an unprofessional way to promote ourselves. But you are surely right that videos may hang sometimes even there, so my next video will surely be shorter...let's say 2 minutes.... See more
You have surely hit good points.
Indeed, it is true that a video may be something like a time-waster, particularly for translation agencies, but is also true that may offer additional informations apart from those stated on traditional curriculums.
Apart from this, I don't agree with the fact that you tube is an unprofessional way to promote ourselves. But you are surely right that videos may hang sometimes even there, so my next video will surely be shorter...let's say 2 minutes.
For what concerns the background, you are the second that says it so it must be really true! But, what are the alternatives to this kind of "talking head"? Maybe an interview or a completely different background (like a television studio)?
I think I will definitely have to ask a professional help for what concerns this aspect..
With regards to the flickering lines..I couldn't help inserting them (I liked them too much!) but other people also have suggested me to remove subtitles altogether in order not to disturb the viewer of the video.
Finally, my Italian pronounce. Thank you for pointing at that. The next video I will ask an English mother-tongue to help me pronouncing words in a more neutral way..
So thank you again for your invaluable suggestions Anton. I do agree with them all, except about the utility of a video-CV, because I think this can be a good way to promote our services to potential clients.
I wish you a nice evening!
Bruno
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Tristan Jimenez
Tristan Jimenez  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 11:13
English to French
thanks for sharing! May 20, 2012

Hi Bruno,

First of all, I think you did a great job with that video!

But as Anton said, recruiters won't spend 3 minutes to hear everything you have to say. I've heard once that they spend up to 20 seconds on a CV. So we only have 20 seconds to impress them, not 3minutes..
However, if you were sending it within the medical industry, they might take more time than if you were sending it to translation agencies.. I think it's a brilliant and original idea to sell y
... See more
Hi Bruno,

First of all, I think you did a great job with that video!

But as Anton said, recruiters won't spend 3 minutes to hear everything you have to say. I've heard once that they spend up to 20 seconds on a CV. So we only have 20 seconds to impress them, not 3minutes..
However, if you were sending it within the medical industry, they might take more time than if you were sending it to translation agencies.. I think it's a brilliant and original idea to sell yourself for that purpose. So maybe keep your CV on a paper for the agencies.

I agree again with Anton about your accent, it might put some people off.. But at the same time, who doesn't have an accent in English, appart from native speakers? Yours is quite strong, but your English is very good! If you want to improve your accent, maybe try to articulate a bit more? It's just a suggestion.. And everybody is different, your accent can be cute for some people and disturbing for others...

About lighting, maybe you could try to use one spotlight over your face, it might improve the overall quality. But I don't think it's a major problem.

Blank wall as a background, I agree with Fabio, it's not disturbing at all. And at least we only focus on you! Cutting your hands with the text isn't a big deal neither. You inserted some texts which help understanding and assimilating what you are talking about. The effects could be improved, but again not a major problem.

Anyway, the whole thing is great and original, I like it.
Good luck with it, and please let us know if you get some offers with it!

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Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:13
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Tristan! May 20, 2012

You are too good with me!
Yes, agencies won't spend 3 minutes to look at it, but there is something I had not mentioned: they are not obliged to.
I mean, I don't plan to start sending it to agencies to promote my services instead of the usual .pdf CV.
That would be too bold I suppose!
Instead, I planned to insert it on my proz profile and web-site, together with the standard written information, so one agency can decide to have a look at it or to view the traditional .pd
... See more
You are too good with me!
Yes, agencies won't spend 3 minutes to look at it, but there is something I had not mentioned: they are not obliged to.
I mean, I don't plan to start sending it to agencies to promote my services instead of the usual .pdf CV.
That would be too bold I suppose!
Instead, I planned to insert it on my proz profile and web-site, together with the standard written information, so one agency can decide to have a look at it or to view the traditional .pdf curriculum.
For what concerns light and pronunciation, yes, everybody agree that they must be improved.
I have noted there is some dissent about the captions I have inserted, because someone says they are disturbing, others like you say they are good..so I don't if remove them or not in the next video.
Thank you again Tristan for your time and your invaluable help!
Bruno
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 11:13
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Comments May 20, 2012

Bruno Depascale wrote:
What do you think about this new kind of marketing material?


1. Get your terminology right:
* curriculum = an integrated course of academic studies
* curriculum vitae = a summary of your academic and work history, a.k.a. "CV" or "résumé"

2. Add subtitles -- I had to listen very carefully with no distractions to figure out what you're saying. You have a beautiful voice and a sexy accent, but sexy does not equal comprehensible.

3. At present, your video-CV is just a talking head. Change it to a PowerPoint presentation with a talking head, to make it more interesting.

4. Another idea to make it more interesting, is to show you doing your work, with some decor (bookshelf, world map or post-it note pin board on the wall, etc).

5. It's too long, and the viewer has no idea for how long it is going to continue, or whether it is worth continuing watching. So my suggestion would be to start the video with a short 30 second introduction of your services and your contact details on screen, fade out to black, and then come back on and tell the viewer that you're now going to talk about more aspects of your work. This means that people who watch only the start will have maximum benefit, whereas those who are interested in knowing more can stay and watch the rest.

==

Edited: after watching more of it...

6. Don't use multiple styles of adding and removing text from the screen -- it makes you look like someone who had just discovered the software that does that and wanted to put as many cool effects in the video as possible.

I just realise that English is not one of your working languages -- so subtitles are possibly not necessary if your video is done in Italian.


[Edited at 2012-05-20 17:52 GMT]


 
lidija68
lidija68  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:13
Italian to Serbian
+ ...
interpreter May 20, 2012

I think video cv could be better marketing tool for interpreter than for translator

 
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:13
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Samuel! May 20, 2012

You have added some interesting considerations.
Indeed, is certain that my voice and pronunciation is the n. 1 problem and I'll try to fix it with a mother tongue colleague.
And thank you also for the tip of adding a 30 second introduction, and then continue with the video, maybe inserting also some interactive links. I have seen such l
... See more
You have added some interesting considerations.
Indeed, is certain that my voice and pronunciation is the n. 1 problem and I'll try to fix it with a mother tongue colleague.
And thank you also for the tip of adding a 30 second introduction, and then continue with the video, maybe inserting also some interactive links. I have seen such links in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EzNll1U2N8
He has done exactly has you have said, for not annoying the viewer with a lengthy video.
Thank you again and have a nice evening!
Bruno
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Marina Steinbach
Marina Steinbach
United States
Local time: 06:13
Member (2011)
English to German
Always keep a business card handy! May 20, 2012

Bruno Depascale wrote:

Hi everybody,

I just wanted to share with you my Video-CV (...)l


I must say that you are very brave and you have presented yourself with a lot of self-confidence. However, just like Samuel already mentioned, I had problems understanding you.

Bruno Depascale wrote:

What do you think about this new kind of marketing material?


I don’t think that this kind of self-marketing is so new, at least not here in the US.

When I first had to give an "elevator pitch" in 2011 in front of approximately 50 people at a meeting of the workforce in Tampa, Florida, I was very nervous, because I had never done something like that in Germany before. But it was a good experience, and today I apply this technique when I meet new people at various other professional or personal events.

Bruno Depascale wrote:

Do you think agencies would appreciate it? Or do you think nobody really cares about what we have to offer, and look only at our rates?


If somebody is looking for an interpreter, then this type of self-marketing could be useful.

And of course: Always keep a business card handy!


 
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Video curriculum...a new marketing tool?







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