Some companies are hoping a new generation of recruiting videos can help job seekers picture themselves working for them., y6 C* Z1 G* I

: n6 C% Q/ ^" UWhile recruiting videos aren't new, they've migrated to the Web where they can reach a larger audience of job hunters through company Web sites, job boards and video-hosting sites such as YouTube.com. These videos show what it's like to work in a specific position at a company and are typically aimed at entry- and mid-level professionals.
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AT&T Mobility LLC, formerly Cingular Wireless, uses recruitment videos to show prospective candidates what its customer-service jobs and others entail, says Jim Bowles, vice president of work force development for the Atlanta-based wireless voice and data carrier. "Call-center work is not for everybody."
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Recruitment videos are loaded with clues about a company's work environment and culture, says Roy J. Blitzer, an executive coach in Palo Alto, Calif., and author of "Hire Me Inc." (Entrepreneur Media, 2006). For example, they might show employees seated in cubicles adorned with finger paintings or in wide open spaces void of tzotchkes. If working in a creative setting is critical to you, such observations can help you decide whether or not to apply to a company, he says.
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Check out what employees are wearing, adds C.M. Russell, president and founder of AllCountyJobs.com LLC, a local job-board publisher based in Trumbull, Conn. If a video shows people dressed in suits and you favor more casual attire, the company it represents might not be right for you, he says. 8 n' Q5 F) N, ]: [2 @6 \

& Q8 A" w9 R+ K/ m! yLikewise, make note of people's ages, says Mark Mehler, a principal at CareerXroads, a recruiting-technology consulting firm in Kendall Park, N.J. "If you see a lot of grey hair, that might imply that the company encourages experienced professionals to apply rather than just people right out of college," he says.4 v; c/ ~: k$ A
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Dave Mefford, 25 years old, recently watched a video about account-manager jobs at CDW Corp., a provider of technology products and services. He says it helped solidify his decision to apply to the Vernon Hills, Ill.-based company, because it showed a fast-paced working environment. "Everyone was multi-tasking," he says. "I like to stay busy and be productive with my time." Mr. Mefford says he joined CDW in early February following the completion of a master's degree program.

A video's quality also speaks volumes about the employer behind it, says Mr. Blitzer. If a video is well-made it suggests the company is serious about its recruiting, technologically hip and interested in candidates who are comfortable using the Internet, he explains. By contrast, "if it's unprofessional and poorly made, chances are this is not a company you want to work for," he says.
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" Z7 e& ^$ N# Y: g: }Don't expect to be entertained by Hollywood theatrics or humor, adds Courtney Hub, vice president, interactive strategy at TMP Worldwide Advertising & Communications LLC, a recruiting-advertising firm based in New York. The purpose of a recruitment video is to provide "a realistic job preview to help you make a more informed decision," she says.
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+ h. w* w1 ~: N0 cBe especially skeptical of videos that are overtly promotional, warns Craig Silverman, executive vice president of HireAbility.com LLC, a recruiting firm based in Salem, N.H. These mainly show people talking about their jobs instead of performing them, he says. . j/ F* K7 ~2 p+ O4 y% ~
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Recruitment videos generally star a company's top performers who are enthusiastic about their jobs, says Ms. Hub. You might learn about challenges that some employees face in their work, but you won't hear any gripe sessions, she says. 6 m0 [* N7 q' J/ z/ ?8 F
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"You're not going to see the dark side," such as footage of employees discussing what employees dislike about a company, adds Jennifer Floren, founder and chief executive officer of Experience Inc., a Boston-based career-services firm. & n1 g9 a; l6 f  M6 S* H7 Z
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Human-resources professionals are also likely to appear in recruitment videos, though you may not realize it, says Todd Raphael, editor and chief of ERE Media Inc., a New York-based publisher of recruiting materials and host of recruiting conferences. "Often times a video will say a person's title is sourcing manager," he says. "That's actually a recruiter. You want to hear from someone in a job you want." 5 G* P$ a# g: c9 _, }7 n

5 J, d& `3 a7 ^& d  S0 e: lConsider what information might be missing from a recruitment video, says Ms. Floren, such as if working from home is an option or a job's typical hours.
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0 [# {$ ^3 R$ i  y3 s$ lFurther, don't assume that a company isn't worth applying to just because it doesn't have a video component to their career offerings, says Mr. Raphael. There are still scores of excellent employers out there that don't, he says.
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-- Ms. Needleman is associate editor at CareerJournal.com.$ L+ Y$ t3 ]7 j, ~
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Email your comments to sarah.needleman@wsj.com.