Here’s a list of 13 unusual things job seekers did to get noticed

Imagine you are going for an interview and your wife has made a special homemade soap bar for your recruitment manager as a ‘thank you’ for taking time to interview you. Sounds impossible? Well, apparently not! According to a CareerBuilder Survey, this unusual ‘appreciation’ is one of the many ways job seekers tried to get noticed by the organizations. 

While organizations are trying to rope in the best talent, it is often seen that employees go an extra mile to make sure they land a job they want. And goodness! They can go really far!

Creativity is good but is it ok to stretch it this long? According to Rosemary Haefner, Chief Human Resources Officer at CareerBuilder, “Candidates are realizing that an extraordinary cover letter and resume with strong references aren’t enough, that if you really want the gig, you have to stand out from the competition. Unfortunately, what many aren’t realizing is that the catch is making sure you do that in a professional, respectful way.”

The Human Capital Solutions company had roped in Harris Poll to do the survey on their behalf between May 11 and June 7, 2016. The Survey included more than 2,300 full-time US hiring and HR managers across industries and company sizes.

So which 13 unusual tactics stood out? The Survey although mentions that the following 13 were unusual, it also pointed out that not all were successful.  So if you want to use the following tactics, do these at your own risk! 

If you find the 13 above intimidating, there are better ways to stand out the right way. In a press statement, Haefner lists the following 5 points which will help you get noticed by the recruiter.

• Don’t forget the past: Giving a few examples of how your past experience is transferrable shows that you’ve thought through how you would fit in to the organization.
  
  
• Use social media to your advantage: Tweeting, blogging and commenting about things you know builds up your credibility online. When an employer searches your name after an interview, you want them to find a knowledgeable individual who can fit well into their company.
  
  
• Ask questions: Be sure to prepare a few good questions of your own. Want to know what the corporate culture is like? Are you curious about opportunities to advance? Your questions communicate to your interviewer what’s most important to you. They can also position you as a solid candidate for the role and set you apart from the competition.
  
  
• Showcase your numbers: Use as many facts and figures as you can when promoting yourself. How many people were impacted by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals?
  
  
• Send a note: If you feel the interview has gone well and you want to continue pursuing the opportunity, let the interviewer know. Tell him or her that you’ve enjoyed the interview; you believe you can thrive in the role, and you are interested in exploring the next step.

Although these unusual tactics listed by the CareerBuilder Survey are quite interesting, it however doesn’t take away the genuine interests of the candidates, skillsets required to get a particular job, managing abilities, and also curiosity to work from the actual ways to get noticed by the recruiters. Sharpening the skills, engaging in meaningful projects, teambuilding exercises are all necessary to bag the job that you want!

If you have done something unusual to get hired, we will be happy to know your story!