Senior Product Manager Aylon Herbet turns recruiters’ heads with a video résumé made in mmhmm

If you’re in between jobs and need a way to stand out from the thousands of people applying for the jobs you’re interested in, try using mmhmm. It worked for Aylon Herbet.

“I always joked with my boss, but I genuinely think mmhmm is at least 30 to 40% responsible for me getting the job because it helped me stand out,” said Herbet.

In 2022, Herbet’s previous job in the B2B SaaS space was affected by tech layoffs. As an early adopter of technology, he decided to take some advice from mmhmm and make a video résumé.

Shortly after posting his résumé, he received an interview with the company he is at now. As part of his initial meeting with his would-be boss, Herbet was required to give a live presentation, which he gave in mmhmm. His presentation made such an impact that he even heard from someone who wasn’t at the first meeting about how impressed everyone was.

While he’s not sure if that video résumé helped him get his first interview, he knows whose attention the video did attract. “Recruiters definitely seemed to like it a lot, and I suspect they would have encouraged their clients to look at it if they were putting me forward as a candidate,” said Herbet.

He thinks a video résumé gives hiring managers insight beyond a detailed, written version. “A video doesn't give you everything, but it introduces you to me. You'll get a better sense of who I am as a person and if you connect with that or not,” he said. “The personality stands out.”

Now a senior product manager at a global SaaS company, Herbet has continued to wow his coworkers with mmhmm. In a sea of PowerPoint decks, being on screen with low-text slides makes his face and voice a crucial part of the presentation. Herbet finds that the ability to stay onscreen is especially helpful during product demos.

“The fact that I can make myself smaller and move around the screen to point at things, that's what helps make it more engaging for the audience. They have to pay more attention in a way, but they want to because it's visually interesting.” He’s tried competitor apps but says, “I prefer mmhmm. It keeps the person's attention a bit better.”

A veteran of mostly remote and asynchronous workplaces and a resident of Auckland, New Zealand, Herbet works from home 95% of the time. Though his current job relies less on asynchronous communication than previous workplaces, he still uses live video to work with a globally distributed team.

When he does record a video, he believes in the power of letting your imperfections show. While he appreciates that mmhmm lets you rerecord over mistakes, he thinks that people who feel nervous about being on video should start by not setting the bar too high, particularly if videos are being shared internally.

“Be yourself in the video, let all of your warts shine through and you'll get more confident,” he said. “The more you do it, the more comfortable you'll get. And you'll get over that awkward shyness you feel the first few times.”