Standing out. Getting noticed. Being recognized and remembered. It all comes down to how we brand ourselves. So much has been written about this subject yet so little has been implemented in the job hunting arena.
Recently, someone asked me how successful job seekers set themselves apart. I thought back on my 15+ years in staffing industry and had to admit that only a handful of applicants have stayed in the front of my mind.
So I asked my colleagues for some feedback. They shared some of the most memorable, creative and innovative approaches to securing an interview … and following up with flair. Check them out!
HIGH TECH STRATEGIES
VIDEO RESUME: “I recently received a very slick, very quick video introduction from a potential Sales Manager candidate. It was clever, cohesive and stayed in my mind. I got a sense of how he (the candidate) came across in person and was impressed with his communication skills. A person’s true self can’t always come through on an 8 1/2” x 11” sheet of paper. This was effective.”
PERSONAL WEB SITE: “One day while I was on LinkedIn, I noticed an advertisement with a simple headline that read, “HIRE ME.” I couldn’t resist the teaser and clicked on the link, which brought me to a customized personal web site of a very interesting job candidate. It was complete with graphs, charts, portfolio pieces, testimonials, embedded video and share buttons. Smartest of all was the contact page, which made it very easy to email the candidate. Clever and memorable!”
PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
GLASSES: “I don’t like the idea of receiving thank you gifts but I’ll never forget this one. A candidate wearing the currently popular “geek chick” glasses met with me about an open position. The next day I received a package from him. A generic eye glass case which I opened. Inside was the identical pair of geeky glasses, with a brief ‘Thank You For Seeing Me’ note.”
TOILET PAPER: “A college grad was looking for an entry level position with a creative ad agency. She sent her resume along with a roll of custom printed toilet paper. The message: Her name with the line, ‘I don’t mind starting at the bottom.’ I wouldn’t recommend this tactic for every young job hunter, but for the specific industry, this was brilliant!”
HOLIDAY LIGHTS: “An innovation company was looking for a product development guru. Many resumes crossed my desk but one candidate stood out. He sent a sleekly-packaged orange box that was pre-printed and had a cellophane window. Through the window I could see the string of lights. It was accompanied by message about his ‘100 Bright Ideas’. He got the interview AND the job.”
OLD FASHIONED CHARM
APPLE PIE: “There must be some truth to the theory that people make an emotional connection to smells — especially good ones. A candidate came to an interview with a hot apple pie and left it with the Hiring Manager as a show of thanks for her time. After the interview, the manager could not stop raving about the great impression that this candidate made. She was called back for a second interview.”
HEARTFELT NOTE: “Every day I get several emails thanking me for interviewing potential candidates. I have only received one hand- written card. It was obvious that the candidate hand-picked the card based on my personal interest in music (we had discussed it briefly during our meeting). He also gave a lot of thought to the written message. I saved the note. He got the second interview.”
STRANGE BUT TRUE
MUSIC MAN: “I had one candidate march into my office, wrapped inside a big, brass tuba! In addition to making a big splash, he had amazing credentials. He was concerned that he would be overlooked in the slew of resumes for the particular job. He wasn’t!”
Obviously, being clever, cute or downright kooky doesn’t make you qualified for a job. Ultimately, it is your skill and your experience that lands the right opportunity. But it is imperative that today’s job hunter gets noticed. Take a cue from successful brands we use every day. Recognize your uniqueness and find a way to relay this to those you need to reach.
What have you done to stand out and get noticed? What have you seen others do? Please share your experiences with our readers. Thanks!
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I loved the idea of promotional gifts… never thought about using glasses to say “thank you” but will do so! 🙂
I’d suggest go to job interview scent-free! Although have recently been discussing the funny technique of perfuming CV in order to attract attention, but there are no guarantees!