🎨 49 Shockingly Creative Ways People Got Hired

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With so much competition for jobs, you must be creative to stand out. Here are some ideas that worked for other job seekers.

Creative Marketing and Branding Tactics for Job Seekers

Bought Google ads for $6: Alec Brownstein purchased inexpensive Google keyword ads targeting creative directors.
Facebook ad strategy: Miriam Schembari targeted employees at HarperCollins with Facebook ads, earning a contract gig.
Lemonade stand giveaway: Laurie Seldon made a lemonade stand in front of her apartment building to hand out lemon-yellow resumes and free bottles of water.

Put your money where your job is: Avi Lichtschein wanted to work at Square so much, he signed up 10 new clients for them AFTER his resume was rejected, which got their attention and eventual job contract.
Self-pitching to a company: Sarah Feingold pitched herself as Etsy’s in-house attorney and flew in for an interview. She was hired.
Billboard job ad: Pasha Stocking bought a billboard advertising herself, leading to the launch of her own PR firm.

Billboard resume (2): Gary Radke placed his resume on a billboard, spending $1,000 and landing multiple job offers.
Billboard-sized resume (3): Mark Heuer wrapped his oversized image on a billboard visible to 60,000 drivers daily.
Talent search win: Alex Brooker broke into TV presenting after winning UK Channel 4’s Paralympics talent search.

Creative lights resume: Liz Hickok displayed her resume in Christmas lights on the side of her home.
Music video resume: Alec Biedrzycki created a short music video to highlight his marketing skills.

T-shirt cover letters: Larry Dinsmore created a service printing cover letters on T-shirts for job seekers.
Graffiti job ad: A young woman in Malmö got a graffiti artist to create a “job wanted” mural.
Lost shoe flyer gains support: A job seeker created a “LOST” neighborhood flyer after her baby's shoe fell off the stroller, also mentioning her recent job loss, and received supportive emails and leads.

Unique baby shoe pitch: One candidate sent a baby shoe with the tag “Let me get my foot in the door.”
Profile section doubles interviews: Monica O'Brien added a “Profile” section to her resume (she calls it a ‘sound bite'), noticeably increasing interview requests.
LEGO Resume: Leah Bowman built a custom LEGO set that included a mini-figure version of herself and branded materials.

Swipe right for job: Reaching beyond LinkedIn, Edna Chavez used Tinder to connect with professionals.
Persistent mail campaign: A woman mailed a can of beans and cover letter to a magazine's office every day for a year until they hired her.
Persistent email campaign: Tristan Walker repeatedly emailed Foursquare’s founders and flew cross-country for an interview.

Facebook hacking: Chris Putnam hacked Facebook's website in 2006 and impressed the company so much that they hired him.
Twitter incentive: Jon Kolbe tweeted that the first person to find him a job would get a free video camera. Bounties work!
Handmade business cards & banner ad: Roger Keynes distributed handmade business cards and ran an animated banner ad to boost his visibility.

Coffee cup caper: Janet FritzHuspen mailed coffee cups along with her resume and cover letter, inviting employers to meet for coffee.
Call out a legend: Play-testing and constructively criticizing a game for a famous local artist lead to a quick hire.
Courier-delivered thank you & plan: Mary Berman used a courier to deliver her thank-you note and 30-60-90 day plan to stand out post-interview.

Job search email campaign: A job seeker used a professional marketing email service (also called a CRM) to send and track their resume emails.
Replied to credit card mail with resume: A job seeker returned prepaid credit card envelopes with their resume, hoping to catch a decision-maker’s eye.

Handed out resumes on Park Avenue: Joshua Persky wore a sandwich board reading “Experienced M.I.T. Grad for Hire,” distributing résumés in New York.

Created a website to attract Twitter: A job seeker launched twittershouldhireme.com, securing a lunch with Twitter and subsequent job offers from other companies too.
Requested mentorship, got offers: Mr. Kooker, a Georgetown law grad, reached out to 60 lawyers for mentorship and ended up with three job offers.
Pitch them a job for you: Izzy Schultz contacted a company’s CEO directly with a tailored proposal for a role that didn’t exist, and successfully landed the job she pitched.

Made them work for him: Andrew Horner built a site where employers had to “apply” for his services, resulting in numerous offers.
Halloween thank you gift: Mary Berman sent a Halloween treat with a thank you note after her first job interview, leaving a memorable impression.
30-60-90 day plan: Mary then Fedexed the employer an 8-page 30-60-90 day action plan, motivating them to bring her in for a second interview.

Interactive video resume: Graeme Anthony produced an interactive, clickable video CV.
YouTube video resume: A candidate made funny YouTube videos about the PR industry using baby toys, getting media mentions, and then sent messages to employers along the lines of “I could do this for you”.
Self-branded coupons: A job seeker distributed self-branded coupons offering free consultations to small businesses, showcasing their expertise.

Project package: A job seeker mailed a past project to potential employers who would benefit, showing off their skills.
Created a job share: Ms. Bergeram applied for a temp admin role, replacing an employee on maternity leave, and then negotiated to share the job with the new mother who didn't want to return full-time. There are so many good reasons to temp.
Hosted his own job fair event: unemployed marketing director Alain Gutton organized a job fair where employers came directly to him.

Website error fix: A programmer spotted and fixed a bug on GoGetFunding’s website and was hired for their initiative.
Caramel & resume combo: Marion sent a caramel candy with her cover letters and resumes to stand out to potential employers.

Video game resume: By designing his resume as an interactive video game, Robby Leonardi allowed employers to “play through” his qualifications.

Job search game: Traci Sanders created and sold “Job Search! A Game of Frustration,” a creative way to turn job-hunting difficulties into a unique product.
Job-seeking wristbands: Barbara Bourn & Stephanie Aucoin wore “Laid Off Need a Job” wristbands to spread the word about their availability.
Action figure resume: Tommaso Guerra made a custom action figure of himself to send to companies along with his qualifications.

Starring me: A creative professional sent star-shaped stickers to employers with the tagline “Hire a Star”.
Snowstorm persistence stunt: Xingyi Yan who joked about standing on a street corner until someone hired her, actually did so during a snowstorm to prove her determination.
USB flash drive portfolio: A job seeker included a PowerPoint presentation, video testimonials, and their resume on a USB drive, making a lasting impression during interviews.

Question of the article

What's the most creative thing you heard a job seeker do (including yourself)? Tell us in the comments

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