HOW TO IMPRESS HIRING MANAGERS – 21 UNIQUE WAYS TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

Looking for tried-and-tested ways to grab attention when job hunting?

Here’s a few of the most unconventional and memorable ways you can break through the noise!

Why not follow the lead of these bold, think-outside-the-box type of job seekers and see if you can come up with an fun approach that gets you in the door for an interview?

Gimmicky or not, they took the shot and WON!

If you really, really, really want the job, experiment. Try something from this list, or tweak an idea to make it your own.

You have NOTHING to lose, and EVERYTHING to gain.

#1: Video resumes

The fastest way to stand out from the crowd is with a video CV or resume.

A one-minute talking head video where you share your highlights reel is a modern take on a resume that will make an impact on hiring managers who are sick and tired of reading the boring, bland AI-drivel resumes that most employee candidates are sending in.

60 seconds is enough time for hiring managers and recruiters to assess your confidence, your warmth and presence, your ability to speak clearly, your professionalism, and your likeability.

This is the fastest way to build rapport with the people with the power to hire you.

By default, a Resume Video also gives you an automatic green tick for your work ethic and your drive to strive for excellence, two very important and highly-rated character traits.

Click here to see my top 3 favourite video resumes to copy (and why they work!)

Hot tip: Make a personalised video cover letter for the employers you really want to work for. How can they resist a potential new hire who goes above and beyond to learn about their company? Impossible.

#2: QR code poster resume

Victor Petit (victorpetit.fr) is the clear winner of the most innovative approach to a resume I’ve ever seen.

Victor printed his resume on one side of an A4 poster. On the other, placed a full size photo of his face, with a strategically placed QR code covering his mouth. When you scan the QR code, it takes you to a video, introducing himself.

You need to see it for yourself: https://vimeo.com/21228618

#3: The interactive resume

2nd place for innovation goes to the most playful resume I’ve ever seen. I’d hire him in a flash!

You MUST take a look at this: http://rleonardi.com/interactive-resume/

(We need more of these kinds of people in the world.)

#4: The LEGO man resume

Seriously, the talents of some people. Andy Morris personalised a tiny LEGO man into a caricature of himself, complete with beret, laptop and miniature CV in hand, and packaged it up into a toy that wouldn’t look out of place in FAO Schwartz toy store!

The back of the packaging included his contact details, linkedin profile, website, and this bold text:

‘Welcome to your newest employee. Hi, I’m Andy, a qualified interior designer and internationally exhibited artist with a philosophy on good design and bright colours. Previously from the world of finance, I have swapped paperwork and multi-million pound accounts for a life of creativity, and I have never been happier.

I have broken gallery records, created galleries in exhibition centres and castles (multiple), had a two year tour of the US, and even had an exhibition attended by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen- the billionaire owner of LEGO.

I also look awesome as a plastic toy.’

(That last line! I love it)

One can’t forget the ‘limited availability’ stamp on the package either!

Genius.

Check it out here: https://www.andymorris.studio/legocv

#5: Mock social media pages resume – Facebook & Pinterest

Sabrina Saccoccio decided to take a novel approach to a resume by mimicking a Facebook profile page, replacing the personal information with her job hunting goals.

She transformed the ‘comments’ section into a rolling feed of testimonials backing her abilities and skills!

Jeanne Hwang did the same thing in her quest for a job at Pinterest.

She mirrored the look and feel of a Pinterest home page, and then filled the feed with examples of expertise, cleverly deisnged as pins!

Each one a piece of the puzzle, showing her work experience, skills, specialties, whiz bang accomplishments and achievenents. This digital resume peaked the interest of Pintics, a pinteres analytics company who offered her an interview.

#6: The Amazon product page resume

Phillipe Dubost did with Amazon what Sabrina did with Facebook. He turned himself into an Amazon product page, a resume approach that landed him over 150 job offers, including the one he took as a tech product manager at Birchbox.

His page included an introduction, star rating, frequently bought together items (asic shoes and airline tickets – a clever segue as he’s a travel blogger too).

His product details include his height, languages, average customer review, and best marathon time! (3 hours 22 mins)

The Amazon page lists his education, main skills rank, a product description that detailed his work experience, but the best bit? A star rating with a whole bunch of ‘reviews’ of his talents by former colleagues and bosses!

Gold. Just gold.

See the page here: https://phildub.com/

#7: Google Search Results Resume

Eric Gandhi created a resume resembling a Google results page! And someone at Google spotted it on LinkedIn, which led to an interview!

His Google themed resume was also featured in multiple Business Insider articles featuring ‘insanely cool resumes’.

Check it out here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gandhieric

#8: Google maps resume

Ed Hamilton used Google Maps to build his resume showcasing his global experience.

As a former travel blogger, this pulls at my heartstrings.

I ADORE this clever resume idea.

Check it out below:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1ik5G4I2ozJr3Hl3rfuj5wfyS8oM&hl=en_US&ll=25.22164634049889%2C22.97704699999997&z=2

#9: The paint tin promo resume

Graphic Designer Chew Lijuan filled a paint tin for self-promotion.

She designed the packaging and eye-catching label, then filled it with Tiffany-blue coloured promotional items designed to showcase her creativity and show how her skills could contribute to the company.

But equally, her goal was to help her potential employers remain in a creative state all day too!

The tin included:

one artisan chocolate for an endorphin boost to kickstart new energy for creative projects
an Earl Grey tea bag for a moment of time out to relieve stress and anxiety, and create the perfect conditions for abrainstorming session
a blank ideas book, and a pen to capture all those new inspirational thoughts, ideas and sketches, and
a handmade creative pouch to keep these things all together.

In amongst the goodies, was a ‘message in a bottle’, her resume rolled up and tied with string!

AND a ‘talk to stranger’ card, to symbolise how she and the Creative Director can move from being strangers to team players!

See pics here: https://www.behance.net/gallery/4239159/Self-promotion-Creative-Boost

#10 Billboard resume

Feilim Mac An Iomaire, a Dublin native, spent his hard won earnings, a total of $2600 on a billboard in his quest to find work!

Using the email [email protected], he tapped his network to get behind his social media campaign, using twitter and facebook pages to drive his job-seeking efforts.

The results? 20 interviews, several job offers, and a permanent position with Irish Bookmakers, Paddy Power!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/17/unemployed-irishman-billboard-paddy-power

Adam Pacitti did a similar thing.

He set up a website Employadam.com , and spent his last £500 on a billboard advertisement asking people to help him find a job. The interest in the billboard sent direct traffic to the site, resulting in 60+ invitations to interview!

I’ve also heard of someone who turned their resume into a walking billboard, hitting the streets to call on the public to help his quest for a job.

#11 Box of chocolate truffles resume

Rob Jervis was a newly graduated graphic designer looking for his first position in advertising or design, a highly competitive industry.

His innovative strategy was to design the packaging for a box of truffles, including his contact details and career profile overview inside the lid!

Renata Chunderbalsingh transformed her love of a good old chocolate bar into a job seeking method too, creating a Willy Wonka style wrapper with all her important details and skills listed on the back.

It turns out life is a Box of Chocolates! You never know what you’re going to get.

#12 Pizza box resume

Rachel Soleil-Lerch took a similar approach in her quest to land a concierge role but used a pizza box as her delivery method to get her resume in front of hotel hiring managers.

#13 Pick Me Pixar resume!

Brian Moose wanted to apply for a job at Pixar, so he knew he needed a unique approach. He sought a vintage box as a hold-all and inside, placed a hand-drawn sketchbook documenting his work history, career profile, design and management philosophy, his favourite quotes, and details of what he could bring to the role.

While ultimately unsuccessful in his Pixar quest this time round, he made new contacts who have become invaluable for their help reaching new channels.

#14 Resume printed on fabric

Melissa Washin took her love of sewing to the next level by making a resume out of fabric, complete with matching business cards!

She used iron-on paper to transfer her resume to fabric, added a backing in a fun print, and hand-stitched her initials to the front.

Take a look here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mwashin/2348700378/in/set-72157604177483230/

And yes, she got the job she wanted!

#15 Edible cake resume

Karly Pavlinac Blackburn went viral for her post on the innovative approach she took to send her resume to Nike. She found a local Grocery Store who made cakes with edible pictures, and had her resume printed on top.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/karly-pavlinac-blackburn-540358135_resume-resumecake-activity-6978073059597377536-jp-k

Matthew Lancaster was right when he said she ‘cut through all the noise, told a story, created a moment that will be a story others tell, and crashed a party with a cake!’

The comments section of this post was full of more creative ideas.

Here’s three of the best:

One mom sent a potted plant – a violet – to an employer with a note that said ‘I’m no shrinking violet’. She got the job
Someone (tongue in cheek?) suggested putting your resume in a shoe with a note stating ‘Just trying to get my foot in the door’.
One woman sent her resume to the office via personal messenger because her email wasn’t getting through. Her effort got her the job.

PS: Never forget the power of a thank you note!

Joan Hamilton shared a story of hiring a part time cartoonist for a television job because he sent a thank you note, a caricature of himself with a speech bubble expressing his appreciation for the interview. That singular gesture lifted him above the other equally qualified applicant so he was the one offered the role.

#16 Hand-delivery of doughnuts resume

25-year-old Lukas Yla, 25 impersonated a Postmates delivery man in a homemade uniform to hand-deliver boxes of doughnuts, each one with his resume taped to the inside lid, along with a note of intrigue, ‘Most resumes end up in trash. Mine? In your belly!’

He chose donuts as his calling card because he knew tech people often don’t have time to get out for lunch, and rely upon food delivery services.

His bold determination in delivering boxes of doughnuts to heads of marketing at 40 major tech companies in the San Francisco area resulted in 10 interviews!

Read all about it: https://www.businessinsider.com/this-job-candidate-has-been-delivering-his-resume-with-a-box-of-doughnuts-dressed-as-a-postmates-delivery-guy-2016-10

#17: Mock magazine layout resume

25-odd years ago, I applied for an administration role at my favourite magazine. The job application requirement was to mock up a two page layout in place of a formal resume.

This was pre-Canva days so I did it all by hand. I didn’t get the job but I’ve never forgotten the application process. It was so fun!

Business management graduate Sumukh Mehta did a much better job than I did, with his GQ magazine cover landed him the internship! Those three weeks of his life doing amateur graphic design work were well spent.

#18: Bold Introduction resume

I landed my dream job as a career coach without any idea that’s what I was applying for. (The universe delivered – oh how it did!)

I sent in a ‘creative resume’ featuring the words ‘Hello, I’m Amber Greene’ boldly written in bright red text on the top of the page. The phrase ‘Hello again! I’m Amber Greene’ was top of page two.

After I was landed the role, my new boss at the Employment Services company told me they called me in to interview and ultimately hired me BECAUSE my resume was full of descriptive stories that showed the results of my practice and work. The stories – not the headline – created the intrigue that made them want to meet me in person.

They had already established I had the skills to teach people how to do write resumes properly. But the headline was a talking point. They’d never seen something so bold before.

Adam Rozmus had a similar idea. The intro at the top of his resume says

‘Hello. My name is Adam Rozmus and this is ~~my resume~~ my story’

The strike-thru on the text aroused curiosity in the recruiters. How could anyone resist knowing more about Adam’s story after seeing this slick but ultimately genuine switcharoo?