How long should a video introduction be for a job application?

Thirty to sixty seconds. Say your name, the role, one thing in the posting that drew you and one thing in your background that fits it. The CV carries the detail, so the video only needs to make them open it with interest. If you are over a minute, cut a whole point rather than speaking faster.

Is a 30 second introduction video too short?

No. For someone who has never heard of you, 30 seconds is often the right length. It is enough to say who you are, why you are writing to them specifically and what you would like to happen next. A short video that is specific to the recipient beats a long one that could have been sent to anyone.

When is a longer introduction video appropriate?

When the person already expects detail from you. A client handover, a project kickoff or a walkthrough a prospect asked for can run two to five minutes, often with your screen showing the plan. Say the most important thing in the first 30 seconds anyway, and split anything over five minutes into two videos.

How do I check how long my video will be before I record?

Write your points as bullets and say them out loud with a timer running. The spoken version is almost always longer than you expect. If it comes in over your target, cut a whole point rather than speeding up. You can also trim the start and end after recording, which often saves several seconds.

How long should an introduction video be? A guide by situation

The answer is shorter than you probably want it to be. When I watch someone record an introduction for the first time, the first take runs long, the second is tighter, and the third is the one they send. The shorter versions are usually the better ones.

There is no single right length, though. It depends on who is watching and what they already expect from you.

Why the first video should be short

Someone who does not know you has not decided to watch when they press play. They are deciding while it plays, on a phone, probably with the sound off, between two other things. Every second you spend clearing your throat is a second they spend wondering whether to close the tab.

A short video also says something about you. It says you know what you want to say and you respect their time. A six minute first message says the opposite, however good the content.

So for any first contact, I would stay under a minute, and under 40 seconds if you can. The free plan on hi.video stops at one minute per video, which is about the limit for a message to someone who has not asked for one. If you need longer, the Pro plan goes to ten minutes, and some situations call for that, covered below.

Job application: 30 to 60 seconds

A hiring manager could be working through a stack of applications in one afternoon. The CV still does the work. The video is the reason they open it with some interest.

Thirty seconds is enough to say your name, the role, one thing from the posting that you are drawn to and one thing from your experience that fits it. Sixty seconds lets you add a sentence of personality. Beyond that you are reading them your CV, which they have.

If you are tempted to go longer because the role is senior or technical, resist it. Senior people are the ones with the least time. Put the detail in writing and use the video to be a person. The video cover letter article has a longer worked example.

Sales or prospecting first touch: 20 to 45 seconds

This is the shortest case. A prospect who has never heard of you will give you a few seconds, not a minute. The video needs to show your face, say why you are writing to them specifically, and make one clear ask.

The specific part matters more than the length. "I noticed your careers page lists three support roles and your help centre has not been updated since last year" is 20 seconds that proves you looked. A 90 second tour of your product proves only that you like your product.

If they reply, you can follow with a call or a longer video.

Follow up after an interview or a meeting: under a minute

They know who you are now, so skip the introduction. Thank them, mention one specific thing from the conversation, and say what you would like to happen next. Forty seconds is plenty. Anything longer starts to feel like a second interview they did not schedule.

Client handover or kickoff: two to five minutes

This is the case where a longer video is right. The client has already said yes. They expect detail from you, and many would rather hear it from you than read a six paragraph email.

Two to five minutes lets you walk through what happens next, who they will hear from and what you need from them, often with your screen showing the plan while your camera sits in the corner. Nobody is deciding whether to keep watching here. They want the information.

The same goes for a walkthrough a prospect asked for. If someone says "can you show me how the reporting works", they have asked for a demonstration and will sit through a few minutes of it. Keep the camera on so it stays a conversation rather than a screencast, and say the most important thing in the first 30 seconds, because the person who gets interrupted halfway through should still leave with the point.

Even so, I would cap it at five minutes in most cases. Past that, split it into two videos with different subjects. A client who needs one detail later will not scrub through a 12 minute recording to find it.

How to find out your real length

Do not guess. Write what you want to say as bullet points, then say it out loud with a timer running. People are usually surprised, and almost always in the same direction: the spoken version runs longer than the plan.

A timed plan for a 45 second first message:

0 to 5 seconds: their name, your name, one line on why you are writing

5 to 25 seconds: the one thing you want them to know, with a detail that shows you looked

25 to 40 seconds: what you would like to happen next, and that the button below does it

40 to 45 seconds: thanks, and stop

If the timed run comes in at 70 seconds, do not speak faster. Cut the apology for sending a video, and cut everything after the sentence that starts "I also wanted to mention". Those two cuts fix most long takes.

If you are still over after that, trim. When the content is right and only the start and end are slow, trimming the first and last few seconds often brings a 65 second video under a minute without a retake.

When the content is the problem, ask which single thing you would say if you had ten seconds. Say that first, then stop. You can send a second hi once they reply, and a second short video lands better than a first long one.

When you are ready, record your first hi and time it. The 60 second introduction video script gives you a frame to fill in, and personal video vs discovery call covers what to do when a short video is not enough.