Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
Divorce, Maintenance, Personal Injury, Medical Negligence
I was reading about the Zappos experience recently and one of the things Zappos do is to ask would-be staff members to make a video of themselves and send it to the company, so that they can decide whether to hire that person or not. In South Africa, firstly you would get some very strange videos and you would also get some complaints from prospective employees that it was inappropriate, but it is surprising, particularly in the legal field, that there are not more would-be candidate attorneys, for example, who send a short video of themselves talking or discussing issues because that would allow you to judge them.
Quite honestly in this day and age you need to do different things to stand out and videos are not that extraordinary anymore – after all, you can already buy 3D video cameras and cameras, and yet nobody is actually attending to presenting themselves via the video format, which, if you are presentable and well-spoken, it is only going to work to your advantage. I guess I will try with the next few candidate attorneys, as that would be quite a good test of their technical abilities as well, and see what responses I get.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Tuesday 08-May-12
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Comments
Sabelo Mfeka said:
on Tuesday 19-Mar-13 03:00 PM
I have an interest in Law and i am willing to learn more on issue related to it,especially the different kinds of legal practices,im currently employed by the CLRDC in Durban.
Wayne Ryan said:
on Saturday 02-Mar-13 01:34 PM
I believe in the personal touch, in sitting for an interview and facing your panel. That is where the human factor comes in where you can think on the spot and express yourself by thinking cognitively and critically and the best candidate can be chosen on merit.
Wayne Ryan said:
on Saturday 02-Mar-13 01:33 PM
I believe in the personal touch, in sitting for an interview and facing your panel. That is where the human factor comes in where you can think on the spot and express yourself by thinking cognitively and critically and the best candidate can be chosen on merit.
melileki ndlangamandla said:
on Thursday 07-Feb-13 01:22 PM
i would like for a chance to get into the field i studied for to express my myself in such.
melileki ndlangamandla said:
on Thursday 07-Feb-13 01:22 PM
i would like for a chance to get into the field i studied for to express my myself in such.
tanya said:
on Thursday 11-Oct-12 04:41 PM
I think it could actually be interesting but a guideline on what to say in the video or responses to questions that are usually asked in interviews could would be helpful I truly think that marketing yourself or doing interviews via video might save a lot of time. It may even help those who tend to be on the nerves during interviews. Marketing yourself through video could only help you cause u can re-record as much as you can till the video is to your satisfaction where with normal interviews you only get that one chance so the possibility of u disappointing yourself after a lot of preparation is eliminated if u are committed to your video.
stella said:
on Wednesday 13-Jun-12 04:12 PM
I don't agree because like Lucratia said when you are told to send a video chances are that the person that you would be watching is not actually person that you would have interviewed had you decided to conduct a face to face interview because they would have had enough time to "perfect" themselves and would lack the capacity to think on their toes...
mmanthoto said:
on Tuesday 05-Jun-12 03:43 PM
all the commets are good because each and every one of us has a way of seing things.i think personal interview is much acquateble and more advantagious because you will be giving your all,representing yourself to the fullest without any limits,giving the interviwer what they want to see,to hear,that personal connection(proffessionally).But through video yes you can say what you want to say straight to the point,i mean you would be rehasing over and over again till you get it right it woudnt fill adventurous but if that is what wanted then one has to move with time and markert herself differently
Daniela said:
on Friday 11-May-12 03:57 PM
I think it may be a disadvantage to most because let's face it, the human eye has an immediate attraction to aesthetic things and well, not being aesthetically pleasing (to put it bluntly) especially when there is no real challenge and you can't really convey your intelligence, will not be in your favour.
Angela said:
on Thursday 10-May-12 04:27 PM
Some good points both for and against, however with advanced technology these days I would agree that its a great way to market yourself.
Lucretia said:
on Thursday 10-May-12 02:23 PM
I have to agree with going for the personal interview, people who can "think on the spot" are people you want to hire, not someone who has rehearsed over and over again - take a picture, airbrush it and you have a different outcome - i think that is what a rehearsed video would do to a prospective employee.
Liesl said:
on Tuesday 08-May-12 05:43 PM
I would definately think its weird if a potential employer has to request a video as opposed to an interview as it just hasn't been done before. Albeit we are challenged with new things everyday, the question is will you rise to the occasion or back off?
Angelique said:
on Tuesday 08-May-12 05:05 PM
I wouldnt be suprised if this is the case, as technology always seems to take over somehow! Its the next step from skype. I still would be sceptical, however, it may be to your advantage if you are well-spoken and to some degree attractive. Not trying to come across as shallow but if you are more presentable and make effort with how you look to an interview - you more than likely to get the job than someone who doesnt make the effort and ofcourse it certainly is a way to stand out. One just needs to be very careful and not come across as inappropriate.
Genevieve said:
on Tuesday 08-May-12 03:06 PM
I think that a video could be misunderstood. Meeting someone in person is a lot healthier for any relationship (professional and personal). On a video someone can still cut the ugly bits and then appear fantastic - i.e. a false face.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
