Job search & hiring
How to write a 60-second video introduction that actually gets watched
Most video introductions fail for the same reason: they open with a slow warm-up instead of the point. A recruiter or client decides whether to keep watching in the first five seconds, so the structure matters more than the polish.
Start with what you'd say if you only had one sentence
Skip "Hi, my name is..." as an opener. Lead with what you do and who you do it for: "I build checkout flows for e-commerce brands" tells a hiring manager more in three seconds than thirty seconds of biography. Save your name for right after — people remember names better once they know why they should care.
A structure that works for most 60-second intros
- 0–10 seconds: What you do, in one sentence, plus your name.
- 10–35 seconds: One specific example — a project, a result, a problem you solved. Specific beats impressive.
- 35–50 seconds: Why this particular job or client, briefly. This is the part people skip and shouldn't.
- 50–60 seconds: A clear close — what you'd like to happen next.
Write it before you record it
Not a script to read word for word — that tends to sound flat on camera — but a short outline with your key phrases written down. Most people's first unscripted take rambles in the middle third. A one-line outline for each of the four sections above fixes this without making you sound rehearsed.
What to do about the background
A messy or distracting background pulls attention away from what you're saying, and a lot of people don't have a tidy office to record in. Blurring the background is a fast fix — it keeps the focus on you without requiring you to find a better room. This is one of the reasons a lightweight recording tool with background blur built in tends to produce better results than a phone selfie video.
Re-recording is normal
Two or three takes is typical, even for people who do this professionally. The first take is usually for finding your pacing, not for keeping. Give yourself permission to record more than once before judging the result.
When you're happy with a take, you need somewhere to put it. A recorded video introduction is only useful if it's easy to share — as a link on a resume, in a job application, or pasted into a freelance proposal — rather than a file someone has to download and open.
Record your intro on Jikoreel — background blur is built in, and the first minute is free.