When Alan Rockett answered a help wanted ad from an Atlanta Accounting and Finance Search Firm looking for a Chief Financial Officer, he wanted what every candidate wanted--an interview and then, an offer. What Rockett didn't know is how video technology would secure that interview and the subsequent job offer.

Rockett is one of the first people hired through Staff Financial Group, a specialized financial staffing firm, using video resume technology. Created by Gus Cawley, a veteran of the specialized financial staffing industry and owner of Staff Financial Group in Atlanta, SearchVideoResumes.com is a free video resume hosting social networking site that allows jobseekers to create and upload their own video resume presentation along with other electronic documents such as references, test scores, and work samples for potential employers.

"It is hard to evaluate a person from a piece of paper, and resumes don't always tell the whole story" Cawley said. "And let's face it--the technical fit is important, but the personality fit is just as important, if not more important. Video resumes allow employers to see subjective characteristics of the jobseeker, such as charisma, personality and communication skills."

Video resumes also save money for companies searching for qualified employees using specialized staffing firms. In Rockett's case, the hiring manager was in Malibu, California. The final decision maker was in Dublin, Ireland.

"We filmed Alan in the office and the video was emailed from Atlanta to California to Dublin" Cawley said. "The final interview was a video conference. It streamlined the hiring process by weeks and we saved our client substantial money in airfare from Dublin to Atlanta."

Appearing on camera can be intimidating for some and was for Rockett at first. The personnel at Staff Financial Group helped him feel comfortable, he said.

"Technology is unquestionably changing not only the way employers search to fill positions but how applicants and/or candidates interview for the job," Rockett said. "However, I should also add that good preparation remains essential to the interview process - one needs to research their potential employer thoroughly and prepare by clarifying their thoughts on their personal strengths, weaknesses, and passions, focusing on the strengths, of course."

Video resumes are the buzz for human resource professionals. Vault Inc., a leading source for career information, surveyed 309 employers in March 2007 and 89 percent said they would watch a video resume. Fifty-two percent said they would watch the video to assess a candidate's professional presentation and demeanor.

"As the job market gets more competitive you will see an increase in the use of video resumes by jobseekers that are looking to get an edge over their competition," Cawley said.

Gus Cawley is owner and founder of Staff Financial Group, a leading provider of search and staffing services for accounting and finance professionals, whose client base includes top CPA and consulting firms as well as Fortune 500 organizations. He is also the owner and founder of The LawStaff Group a specialized legal staffing firm. In 2007, Cawley created SearchVideoResumes.com to help Employers find qualified jobseekers in any geographic region. He is also the creator of Video Resume Secrets, which is a training program that teaches staffing firms how to implement video resume technology within their organizations. To view Alan Rockett's resume, log onto http://www.searchvideoresumes.com/view_video.php?viewkey=cc25a6f606eb525ffdc5