Talking about yourself might feel weird – but do it anyway. Add a Video Introduction.
You have filled in your My Retail Career profile. You have told us when you can work, where you can work, what you are interested in and approximately 27 other useful things about yourself so we can get you in front of as many employers as possible.
And then we have the AUDACITY to suggest you add a photo and introductory video.
We know.
For some people, this is no big deal.
For others, the thought process is more along the lines of:
“I do not have a professional photo.”
“I have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to say.”
“Do people actually want to watch me talking?”
“I would rather quietly evaporate into thin air than film myself talking about myself.”
All fair.
But adding a photo and a short video to your Christmas Talent Showcase profile is one of the easiest ways to help an employer get a better sense of the actual human behind all those answers.
And it really does not need to be a big production.
First up: your photo does NOT need to be a professional headshot
No photographer required. No blazer required. No awkward arms-folded-standing-in-front-of-a-white-wall situation required.
A selfie is absolutely fine. Your latest school photo is fine. A nice recent photo somebody else has taken of you is fine.
Ideally, choose one where:
It is reasonably recent
You are the only person in it
Your face is easy to see
You look friendly and approachable
That is basically it.
You do not need to look a certain way. The point of adding a photo is simply to put a face to your profile and help the employer looking at it connect all that information with a real person.
Because that is what the Christmas Talent Showcase is really about.
The Showcase is designed to help employers see more than a CV
The Christmas Talent Showcase works a little differently from applying for a normal job.
Instead of finding vacancy after vacancy, sending off your CV and hoping somebody notices it, you create one profile that employers can search when they are looking for Christmas and summer team members.
Your availability matters. Your location matters. Your experience and preferences matter.
But retail is also a people business.
Employers are looking for people who can communicate, connect with customers, work well with others and bring a good attitude to their team. Those qualities can be difficult to communicate through a list of previous jobs or a few written answers.
That is where your video comes in.
The video is not really about making a great video
This is probably the most important thing to know:
Your video is not an audition.
Employers are not waiting for an Oscar-worthy performance and they are definitely not assessing your cinematography skills. Your 30–60 second introduction simply gives them a tiny glimpse of you:
Can you communicate clearly?
Do you seem friendly and approachable?
Do you sound genuinely interested in finding work?
Can they imagine you talking to a customer or working alongside their team?
These are the things that matter.
And if you have never worked in retail before, your video can be particularly useful. You might not have years of experience to put on your CV yet, but you can still show an employer that you are enthusiastic, willing to learn and ready to contribute.
Potential can be difficult to capture on a CV. A video gives you another opportunity to show it.
Try to forget that you are talking to your phone
We get it. Talking naturally to a tiny black circle while staring at your own face on a screen is not how normal human conversation happens.
So try to make it feel less like “recording a video” and more like introducing yourself to an actual person.
Imagine you have just walked onto the shop floor and met one of your new teammates. Or imagine you are talking to someone you find really easy to chat to. Your best friend.
Your sister. Your favourite teacher. Someone you have worked with before.
The aim is not to sound polished. It is to sound like yourself.
So... what do I actually say?
Keep it simple. You are introducing yourself, not delivering a speech. You really only need to cover a few things:
Who are you?
What are you looking for this Christmas or summer?
Why does retail interest you?
What is something useful, interesting or very YOU that you would like an employer to know?
It might sound something like this:
“Hi, I’m Jess. I’ve just finished Year 13 and I’m looking for work over summer before I start uni next year. I’d really like to work in retail because I love fashion and really enjoy talking to people. I’m available right through Christmas and January and would love the chance to join a busy team.”
That is it.
Please do not memorise that. Your version should sound like you. If you already have retail experience, tell them a little about it.
If you do not, think about what you could bring to a team. Maybe you are great with people. Maybe you are really reliable. Maybe you love fashion, sport, beauty, technology, homeware or another area of retail. Maybe you learn quickly. Maybe you genuinely enjoy helping people.
There is no perfect script. The goal is simply to help an employer know a little more about you than they did before they pressed play.
Do not get caught trying to make it perfect
This is where it is very easy to overthink things.
You film it. Watch it back. Decide you said “um” too many times. Film it again. Decide you sounded awkward. Start again.
Before long, a simple introduction has become much harder than it needs to be.
You do not need a script. In fact, we would rather you did not have one. Jot down a few bullet points if you need them, but try not to read a carefully prepared statement in your best school presentation voice.
If you stumble over a word, that is fine. If you laugh halfway through, also fine. If you need to restart a sentence, completely normal.
A slightly imperfect video where you seem warm and genuine will tell an employer much more about you than one you have rehearsed so many times that it no longer sounds natural.
Aim for clear, friendly and genuine rather than perfect.
A few practical things before you hit record
You do not need a studio. You do not need special equipment. You definitely do not need to buy a ring light specifically for this occasion.
Just:
Find somewhere reasonably quiet so the employer can hear you
Make sure there is enough light for them to see you clearly
Keep your phone somewhere around eye level and reasonably steady
Frame yourself so your face and shoulders are easy to see
Look roughly towards the camera
Have a quick check of what is happening behind you
Your background does not need to be perfect. Just choose somewhere relatively tidy and free from anything particularly distracting.
Then take a breath and say hi.
Why bother?
Imagine you are a retail employer looking through a whole lot of profiles.
Lots of people might be available over Christmas. Lots of people can work weekends. Lots of people might be interested in fashion, sport, beauty, technology or whatever happens to be sold in your stores.
Then they get to your profile.
They see your face.
They click your video.
And for 30 seconds, they actually get to meet you.
Suddenly you are not just another profile on a screen.
The person who has just finished school, loves fashion, can work all summer and seems like someone who could comfortably walk up to a customer and say, “Hi! Can I help you?”
That is why we recommend adding a photo and video to your Christmas Talent Showcase profile.
They give employers one more way to understand who you are, what you could bring to their team and why they might want to know more.
So yes, it might feel a little weird. Do it anyway.
Talking about yourself does not come naturally to everyone. Neither does talking to a camera.
You don't need to suddenly become completely comfortable with either of those things. You just need to give it a go.
Find somewhere quiet.
Set up your phone.
Tell us who you are.
Tell us what you are looking for.
Tell us a little about what you could bring to a retail team.
Then upload it.
Your Christmas Talent Showcase profile does not need to show employers a perfect candidate. It just needs to give them a better chance to see you.
So go on.
Say hi.
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