What to say in a 60-90 second video CV

The secret of a good video CV isn't the camera, it's the plan. In this article, you'll find a talking plan that splits 60-90 seconds into five parts, plus sample scripts for three different profiles. Don't read the examples word for word; fill them in with your own experience.

A five-part talking plan

The times below are a rough framework. You can shorten or stretch each part to fit your own story, as long as the total stays under 90 seconds.

Opening (0-10 sec): your name, your occupation or field of study, and how much experience you have, if any. One sentence is enough.
Experience (10-35 sec): two or three of your tasks or skills that are most relevant to the job you're aiming for. Don't list them all; pick the ones that matter for this job.
An example achievement (35-60 sec): a situation you faced, what you did and the result. If you can measure the result, say so.
Why this job (60-75 sec): why you want this field or position, what you want to learn and where you want to get to.
Closing (75-90 sec): the job you're looking for (position, city, work arrangement), when you can start and a short thank-you.

İpucu: Instead of memorizing a script, jot down one or two keywords for each part. Don't read to the camera; talk as if someone is sitting in front of you.

Opening: the first 10 seconds

In the first few seconds, the viewer wants to understand who they're looking at. A long greeting, your life story or openers like “Where do I begin” waste those valuable seconds.

Your opening sentence should carry three pieces of information: your name, what you do or study, and how much experience you have. For example: “Hi, I'm Selin. I've been working as a front desk agent at a hotel for four years.”

Experience and an example achievement: the heart of the video

In the experience part, instead of listing every job you've done, pick the ones that match the posting you're targeting. If the posting says “resolving customer complaints”, talk about that experience first.

For your example achievement, use this simple order: the situation, what you did, the result. Instead of saying “I'm a team player”, describe a concrete task you took on in a team. The viewer will draw their own conclusions about your skills from the example.

İpucu: If you use numbers, make sure they're real and ones you can explain. Assume they'll ask you about this example in detail in the interview.

Why this job, and closing

Your answer to “Why this job?” shows your motivation. Instead of general statements like “I want to improve myself”, make a connection: what excites you about this field, and how does your previous experience carry over?

In your closing, make the employer's decision easy: say the position you're looking for, your city or remote work preference, and when you can start. End with a short thank-you. There's no need to say your phone number in the video; companies reach you through PlayCV.

Example 1: recent graduate

Örnek konuşma: Recent graduate, business administration

Hi, I'm Ece. I graduated in business administration this summer, and I'm looking for my first job in marketing. At university, I was active in the entrepreneurship club for two years, and in my final year I ran the club's social media accounts. I prepared a promotion plan for one of our career events: I defined the target audience, drew up the posting schedule and tracked sign-ups every week. For my graduation project, I designed a customer satisfaction survey for a small café and reported the results. I love marketing because I enjoy measuring and improving how an idea reaches people. I'm looking for a full-time marketing assistant position in İstanbul, and I can start right away. Thank you for watching.

Why it works: even with little work experience, the club work and the project are described with concrete examples. The closing makes the position, city and start date clear.

Example 2: warehouse and operations worker

Örnek konuşma: Warehouse and operations, four years of experience

Hi, I'm Murat. I've been working in warehouse operations at a logistics company for four years. I handle goods receiving, shelf placement, order picking and shipment preparation; I have a forklift operator certificate, and I track inventory with a warehouse management system. Last year, during a period when inventory count discrepancies were rising, a teammate and I reorganized the shelf labels and created a short checklist for the end of each shift. In the following counts, the discrepancies dropped noticeably, and this system became permanent in the warehouse. I pay close attention to workplace safety, and I'm used to shift work. Now I'm looking for a position in a larger warehouse where I can also take on team responsibility. I can work in Kocaeli and the surrounding area, and I can start within two weeks. Thanks.

Why it works: the certificates and the system used are mentioned briefly, followed by a single problem and its solution. The result is stated without exaggeration, in terms that can be explained in an interview.

Example 3: customer service specialist

Örnek konuşma: Customer service, two years of experience

Hi, I'm Zeynep. I've been working on the customer service team of an e-commerce company for two years. I respond to order, return and complaint requests coming in by phone, email and live chat, and I keep customer records up to date in the system. During one campaign period, complaints increased because of shipping delays. I grouped the most frequently asked questions and prepared short ready-made replies and a routing list for the team, which made it easier to give customers the right information on the first contact. I care about staying calm in difficult conversations and following up until the problem is solved. Now I'm looking for a position where I can grow toward customer experience or team leadership. I can work remotely or in a hybrid setup, and I'm comfortable handling conversations in English. Thank you.

Why it works: the day-to-day routine is kept short, there's a concrete problem and solution, and the goal and preferred work arrangement are stated clearly. If you want to show your language skills, you can say the last few sentences in that language.

Tailor your video to the job posting

You can create up to two CVs on PlayCV. If you're applying in different fields, record a separate video for each CV: let a sales example stand out in the video you record for sales, and a customer example in the one for customer service. When you apply, you choose the CV that best fits the posting.

For some postings, the company asks short video questions after you apply. You can use a shorter version of the same plan for these answers too: answer the question directly, give an example and wrap up in one sentence.

İpucu: Before you film, ask yourself: “What three things about me should the person watching this video remember a minute later?” Your answer is the backbone of your talking plan.

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