Do you think getting a job is as simple as going through the want ads and picking the one that catches your eye? If so, you are in for a reality check. On average, there are over 100 applicants for a job in any given field in the United States.
Only about 20 percent of those applicants make it to the interview. Your odds of getting noticed are slim, especially if you have limited work history or education.
Think Outside the Resume
The tried-and-true method of sending out a resume is great if you have an outstanding document written by a resume professional writer that speaks for itself. Maybe you have the name recognition or the inside track on a job. For most of us, this isn’t the case. You are going to have to get creative or even crazy.
YouTube Your Way to a New Job
A video resume shows your personality, creativity, and willingness to go the extra mile. Furthermore, making your resume available online opens you up to potential employers you may not have even considered. Resume Writing Lab noticed that approximately 80 percent of jobs aren’t advertised. If the right people see your video, you may be the one being selected instead of the other way around.
Say it With Food
Emailed resumes can be looked over and forgotten. Paper resumes may be thrown away. However, edible resumes are deliciously memorable. Have a pizza delivered to your prospective boss with your resume sealed to the lid. Spell out your website on cookies or a cake. Send an edible arrangement with a card leading to your safe online resume. Even if you don’t get the job, this time, you won’t be forgotten.
Employ a Posse
Do you have some friends and family members on your side? A flash mob may be exactly what you need to get noticed. Have them wear brightly-colored t-shirts printed with your name in bold or the URL to your online resume as they swarm restaurants, shopping areas, or any public space your potential employer may be frequent. While they’re at it, break out the video camera. Online evidence of your supporters can only lead to good things.
Advertise In New Ways
You are a commodity, but no one is buying. How do you get your name in the air where everyone can see it? Hire a skywriter or a banner bearing your resume’s URL to be flown above those who are in their peak hiring phase. Not ready to spend that kind of money?
Try writing up faux-carry-out menus to be distributed to potential employers. Instead of a restaurant name, use your own. Instead of dishes, write up your skills. Why would an employer order Moo Goo Gai Pain when they could hire someone fluent in Chinese?
Highlight Unconventional Skills
Everyone wants their resume to pop by including fluency in foreign languages or membership in exclusive societies, especially if you are searching for a way to get a job in Dubai or another country.
What about a skill that is truly yours alone? An origami resume may be unconventional, but it will certainly get noticed. Send your resume with a bouquet of balloon animals. Include a gift, like a hand-polished business cardholder. Add a mock-up of your business card for the company with the title “future executive.” Work for Free
Work for Free
The craziest choice of all may be to work without pay. Offer to intern, volunteer, or shadow another employee. Doing so will give you the experience you need for a job once it comes open. If you can show your ambition at work, you may find that you are the first name on the shortlist for your dream job.
