Even if it's not part of the perfect CVs one sees in application guidebooks - chequered CVs and gaps in a CV occur frequently. Nevertheless, such gaps can be problematic for you as an applicant because, especially with popular jobs, personnel managers have to preselect applicants who will be invited for a job interview. A chequered CV can here mean not being invited to a job interview. But with a video application, things might turn out completely different.

Gaps and breaks in a CV can happen quickly. There may have been this one internship that you dropped out of after a few months. Or you just took a longer break after graduating from university. Maybe you took care of children or other relatives. It's quite simple: many people have gaps in their CV. Maybe you have given your career a completely new direction and decided after a few years on the job that it's time for something new. If there are bigger twists in your professional career you probably have what's called a chequered CV.

Of course it's not bad to seek a new orientation in life. Too many breaks in your CV, however, can cause a personnel manager to eliminate your application before the job interview stage. In this scenario, you don't even get the chance to convince in a personal conversation. Of course, this can be frustrating and you may have to write more applications to finally find your dream job. But maybe, in the near future, you will have the opportunity to react directly to your chequered CV with the help of a video application.

The advantages of video applications for a chequered CV

At the moment, video applications have not yet gained wide acceptance in Germany, but some companies are already using them to find new employees. How exactly videos are used in the application process varies significantly. However, there are approaches that allow you as an applicant to create one or more videos instead of a classic cover letter. Especially with a chequered CV this can be an advantage.

There often isn't enough space in a classic cover letter or motivation letter to go into detail regarding individual stages or gaps in the CV. But that's exactly what a video can offer. If you're clever, you can use it to achieve more than to just make up for gaps in your CV. A video application offers you the chance to virtually bring forward the interview.

The job interview often focuses on gaps in applicants' CVs. This is exactly what you can do in the context of a video application. In your videos you can focus on your chequered CV and directly refute possible objections. If this is too offensive for you, you can, of course, also emphasize your strengths. Incidentally, the videos also show your personality, which is difficult to convey through a cover letter.

You should purposefully make use of these possibilities of a video application in order to directly sweep aside disadvantages caused by gaps in your CV.

Why should companies use video applications at all?

In the near future, video applications could also catch on because, in addition to qualifications and experience, companies are increasingly paying attention to an applicant's personality. Here, for example, the cultural fit plays a role. Personnel managers today see themselves as talent and knowledge managers and want to create talent pools with a wide selection of suitable characters for their companies.

A video application can also help with a chequered CV

Video applications offer advantages for companies and applicants. The possible disadvantages of a chequered CV can thus be specifically addressed with a video application. If you do it right, you can convince with your personality and your qualification and refute possible concerns about gaps or breaks in your CV. Already today, skillster offers you the possibility to create a video application for many well-known companies!