When it comes to getting jobs, sometimes you have to think outside of the box. And sometimes you have to smash that box, take it outside and make a bonfire out of it.
As more and more people are entering the job market, you need to do what you can to set yourself apart from the herd. You need something eye-catching to get your foot inside the door. It’s time to put your creative mind to work and come up with a clever way to market your abilities.
You are going to stand out, but so are your mistakes, so you have to take extra care to ensure you do it right.
Here are some interesting examples of unique strategies that have worked in real life. These may not all work for you, and some are admittedly over the top, but you never know what just might be the right move.
Make a presentation out of your resume.
The tactic: One candidate applying for an account manager role at Search Engine People sent a PowerPoint presentation, not a resume, as reported in Creative Job-Seeking Tactics that Work.
Why it worked: “It conveyed all the information you’d find on a resume, but it was better. This stood out.” Jennifer Osbourne, senior vice-president, business development, Search Engine People Inc., Ajax, Ont., was quoted as saying.
The takeaway: Just like a resume, the presentation must be well-designed and tailored to the position. Make sure you are still addressing the points that you think a hiring person is looking for.
Brand yourself.
The tactic: “One candidate branded himself: He’d created a stylized logo using his initials, which he then used on business cards, his resume and his cover letter. Even the CD he sent in had a stylized label,” said Leanne James, senior vice-president human resources, Apex Public Relations Inc., Toronto, in Creative Job-Seeking Tactics that Work.
Why it worked: The hard work and effort paid off. It was well packaged, professional and left an impression.
The lesson: If you are going to go this route, do it extremely well. You are going to stand out, but so are your mistakes, so you have to take extra care to ensure you do it right.
Be a movie (or YouTube) star.
The tactic: “Include a link in your Twitter profile to a YouTube video CV presentation,” suggests Kazim Ladimeji, in 9 Guerrilla Job Hunting Tactics to Land Your Dream Job. Check out this interesting example of a video CV provided by Ladimeji.
Why it worked: The young man in the video says on his page that he is, indeed, employed. “While I don’t think that video CVs are exactly bleeding edge—they are not the mainstream yet—I still think they constitute a Guerrilla job-hunting tactic,” says Ladimeji.
The lesson: You can’t just read your resume in front of a camera. You have to make it worthy of film. Do something dynamic. Tap into your inner Oscar winner, and go for it.
Honorable mentions: Make your cover letter read like a press release about your hiring, pursue jobs like they are a sales prospect (both outlined in Creative Job-Seeking Tactics that Work) and send a token incentive to entice employers to consider your resume.