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Video CV: how to plan one, with a worked script

Updated

Plan it before you film: who you are and the job, one piece of work that shows what the advert asks for, and a close with your email address. Here is a 90-second script, beat by beat, for a made-up junior motion designer; a blank plan to download is further down.

0:00 to 0:10: who she is and the job

Hello, I’m Aisha Rahman, and I’m applying for your junior motion designer role. Here’s a project that shows how I work.

Why it works: Her name and the job in the first ten seconds, so the viewer knows who and what this is.

On screen: Aisha to camera.

0:10 to 0:25: the project and the brief

At college, our community events team needed three short animated announcements for its summer events. Each one had thirty seconds to tell people what was on, where and when.

Why it works: Where the work came from and what was asked, before what she did.

On screen: The project’s title card.

0:25 to 0:45: what she did

I started with a storyboard, so the team agreed the order before I animated anything. Then I designed and animated original titles for each clip. At the first review, classmates said the dates went by too fast, so I held them on screen longer.

Why it works: Her own part, step by step, including a change she made after feedback.

On screen: Pages of her storyboard, then her title frames.

0:45 to 1:00: the finished work

Here are the three finished clips, thirty seconds each. They went through two rounds of feedback before the team signed them off.

Why it works: The finished work and what it went through, with no claim she cannot show.

On screen: The three clips as thumbnails, each with a line saying what it announces.

1:00 to 1:15: why it fits the job

Your advert asks for someone who can explain a creative choice. Holding the dates longer was mine: an announcement only works if people can read when the event is on.

Why it works: Ties the project back to the one thing the advert asked for.

On screen: Aisha to camera.

1:15 to 1:30: close and contact

I’d love to bring that care to your studio. My written CV is with my application, and you can email me at [email protected]. Thank you for watching.

Why it works: The job again, how to reach her, and thanks. An email address, not a phone number or home address.

On screen: Aisha to camera, with her email address on screen.

A video CV is a short film in which you introduce yourself and show why you suit the job. It adds to your written CV by introducing the person behind it (Leicester College, checked 3 November 2026); send it with the CV, not instead of it. The script at the top of this page is Aisha Rahman’s, a made-up applicant for a junior motion designer job whose employer asked for a short video explaining a creative choice and showing a project. If the employer you are applying to gives a length, a file type or a way to send it, follow that.

On this page

A 90-second video CV, beat by beat

Aisha planned six beats, each with a time and a rough number of words. At about 120 words a minute, a planning figure for this example rather than a rule, her 173 words take about 90 seconds. Time yourself when you rehearse: your own pace is the one that counts.

These examples are at the top of the page.

What to say in a video CV

Leicester College’s careers team suggests:

  • Introduce yourself clearly, then say why you suit the job.
  • Pick out the skills, achievements and responsibilities you want the employer to notice.
  • Give your contact details, and thank the employer for watching at the end.
  • If you have work to show, a slideshow, a short clip or a screenshot of your website can show it. Use only your own work, or work you have permission to show.

How long a video CV should be

Between one and three minutes, Leicester College suggests, to keep it short and relevant (Leicester College). That is advice, not a limit set by employers or video sites. When an employer asks for a video, its own instructions on length, file type and how to send it come first.

Plan it before you film

Write a plan or a short script first. Learn the main points rather than reading notes to the camera, and practise speaking in front of it. If you add graphics or music, a storyboard gives the film its order (Leicester College).

The plan below has a row for each part. Download the blank plan (a spreadsheet file that opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers) and fill in the last column.

PartWhat to putYour plan
Employer instructionsThe length, file type and way to send it, from the employer’s own request
Role and employerThe job title and the employer’s name
OpeningYour name and the job you are applying for
One requirementOne thing the advert asks for that your video will show
Project or workWhere your example comes from: a job, a course or a project
Your partWhat you did yourself
ResultWhat came of it: only figures you can show
Work to showYour own work, or work you have permission to show, with a line saying what it is
TimingThe time you planned, and the time it took when you rehearsed
CaptionsCaptions checked for what you say, names and the sounds that matter
ClosingThe job again, your email address and thanks
Final reviewNames, facts and figures match your written CV, the sound is clear, and you have followed the employer’s instructions

Before you send it

Watch the video back and edit it before you send it (Leicester College). While you film, and again when you watch it, check:

  • You are somewhere tidy, against a plain background free from distractions such as photos and posters (Leicester College).
  • Names, dates and figures match your written CV.
  • You give an email address rather than your phone number or home address: a video can be passed on.

Captions and a transcript

Captions let people who are deaf or hard of hearing follow your video: a text version of what is said and the other sounds needed to understand it, in time with the sound. Automatic captions, such as some video sites make, are often wrong and need checking and editing (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, checked 3 November 2026). If the employer’s system takes a caption file or a transcript, add one; reading the words back is also an easy way to check what you said.

Try it in a template

Creative CV templateEdit your CV in the browser

Complete CV examples

Graphic designer CV example

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