Jobs (no not the Steve one) are hard to find during the current recession. As more applications and resumes get either tossed into the garbage bin or disappear into the growing pile on the interviewer’s desk it may be time to get a little more creative in getting your name out there.
According to CareerBuilder.com almost a fifth of hiring managers are seeing an increase in unconventional tactics from job hunters. This is compared to only 12 percent of applicants from last year who went this route.
Some of the more interesting tactics job seekers have been employing are:
- handing out resumes at stoplights
- washing cars in a company parking lot
- staging a sit-in in the company lobby to demand a meeting with a director
- sending a cake designed as a business card with the candidate’s picture
- handing out personalized coffee cups
- going to the same barber as the company chairman to have the barber speak on the person’s behalf
“The search for employment is taking longer and is more competitive than it has been in past years,” said Jason Ferrara, senior career adviser at CareerBuilder, in a statement. “To compensate, some candidates have turned to extreme tactics.”
But he cautioned: “While unusual job search antics may attract the attention of hiring managers, they need to be done with care and professionalism so that candidates are remembered for the right reasons.”
Source: Reuters UK
Reminds me of one trick I was taught years ago – send in your resume on colored paper (just not pink). Interestingly enough I never did get that job.
