In a tight Singapore labour market, the brands that win talent are the ones candidates can actually picture themselves at. A day in the life video does exactly that — it follows one real person through a real workday, showing what the job and the culture genuinely feel like. It is one of the most effective pieces of employer-brand content you can make, and it works far harder on a careers page than any list of perks.
Why it beats a generic recruitment video
Most recruitment videos say the same things: “we’re like a family”, “we value innovation”, smiling people in a meeting room. Candidates have learned to tune it out. A day in the life video works because it shows instead of tells. By following one person, the viewer experiences the role through someone relatable, not through corporate claims they have heard a hundred times.
Specificity is the whole advantage. Watching a junior designer’s actual morning — the commute, the stand-up, the coffee runs, the work itself — tells a candidate more about whether they would fit than any values statement. It answers the question they are really asking: “what would my day be like here?”
Pick the right person and role
The video is only as good as the person at its centre, so casting matters. The strongest subjects are:
- In a role you are actively hiring for — so the content speaks directly to the candidates you want.
- Genuinely likeable and natural on camera — warmth carries the whole piece more than job title does.
- Honest about the work — someone who can show the real tasks, not a sanitised highlight reel.
Often the best subject is a relatively recent hire in the target role. They remember what it was like to join, they are relatable to applicants, and their enthusiasm tends to be real rather than rehearsed.
Give it a narrative arc
A day in the life video is not just clips stitched together — it follows the natural story of a day, which gives it momentum:
- The start. The morning routine, the commute, arriving — small, relatable moments that pull a viewer in.
- The work. The core of the role: real tasks, collaboration, the problems this person solves.
- The texture. Lunch with the team, a quick win, the bits of culture that make a place feel human.
- The wrap. Wrapping up, and ideally a short, honest reflection on what they like about the job.
That arc keeps it watchable and gives the editor a spine to cut against. Light voiceover or on-camera reflections from the subject tie it together without it feeling staged. You can see how we build narrative across different briefs in our work portfolio.
Authentic, not staged
The fastest way to ruin this format is to over-direct it. The moment a viewer senses that scenes are being acted out for the camera, the trust is gone — and trust is the only reason employer-brand content works. We shoot observationally: following the person through a real day, capturing what genuinely happens rather than blocking out scenes.
That means a light footprint on set. A small crew, minimal interruption, and a subject who has been put at ease so they behave normally. The footage that earns candidates is the unguarded stuff — the real laugh in the kitchen, the focused quiet at the desk — not a perfectly lit re-enactment. A bit of natural roughness signals honesty, and honesty is what makes someone hit apply.
Where to use a day in the life video
A day in the life video pulls its weight in the exact places candidates make decisions:
- Your careers page — where it answers the “what is it really like” question before a candidate even reads the job description.
- Job posts and LinkedIn — embedded in a listing to lift applications from people who self-select as a good fit.
- Social, especially in vertical cut-downs — short, punchy clips perform well on Reels, TikTok and LinkedIn and quietly build your reputation as a place to work.
- The hiring process itself — sharing it with shortlisted candidates so they arrive at interviews already warm to your culture.
Because it doubles as both careers content and social content, planning the vertical versions up front with your videography team gets you more value from a single day of filming.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a day in the life video be?
The main edit usually runs two to four minutes — long enough to tell a real story, short enough to keep a candidate watching. We typically cut it down into several 20 to 45 second vertical clips for social, so one shoot feeds both your careers page and your feed.
Will my employee be comfortable on camera?
With the right approach, yes. We choose a willing subject, brief them gently, and shoot observationally so they can get on with their actual work rather than perform. By an hour in, most people forget the camera is there — and that is when the genuine moments happen.
Does this only work for big companies?
Not at all. SMEs often benefit more, because candidates know less about you and have more questions about what working there is like. A small, authentic team is exactly what many people in Singapore want to join — showing it honestly is a real competitive edge against larger employers.
Ready to start? Tell us about your project and we will plan a day in the life shoot that helps the right people picture themselves on your team.
