Strange but true job hunting techniques - Tips News & Trends

Career World, Nov-Dec, 2002

One way to get a job is to make yourself stand out from other applicants, right? The Creative Group, a staffing company that offers on-line job search services (www.creativegroup.com), surveyed 250 marketing and advertising firms. They hoped to find out how some imaginative job applicants found clever ways to get attention. Here are a few examples:

* One job candidate wrote his resume on a softball.

* One candidate sent a singing telegram about himself.

* One sent a T-shirt with the name of everyone in the company written on it--along with her name.

* One rented a billboard that could be seen from the hiring executive's office--listing his qualifications.

Some of the gimmicks that were reported were more strange than clever. For example, one candidate handcuffed himself to the job interviewer's desk.

These tactics are amusing, but a bit extreme. They do, however, make a valid point: Set yourself apart from the rest of the job candidates. The best way to do this is by researching the company you are applying to. Then write a carefully crafted cover letter. At the interview, be prepared to dazzle your prospective employer with your knowledge.