The job market is tough, no need to remind a job seeker of that fact. Check out some of these unique, non-traditional ways the unemployed are getting themselves noticed and getting their resumes circulating. From singing in “Careereoki” to standing on a street corner handing out resumes to dressing up in a gorilla suit to drop off a resume, here are some links to stories that are sure to make you laugh at some of the ways people are trying to get their foot in the door.
Singing for a career makeover: CAREEREOKI!
“Nicole Nagy had gone back to school, hoping that a new career would lead to a better job. When she was turned down for financial aid, Nagy was told that she could, as a song goes, “sing for the money.” She was directed to a contest called Careereoki. Anyone brave enough to videotape themselves singing — and sometimes dancing — about their dream career karaoke-style was qualified to enter the competition.”
The Street Corner Resume:
“Joshua Persky, 48, stood on Park Avenue, handing out résumés to passers-by and wearing a sandwich board that said, “Experienced M.I.T. Grad for Hire.” The sign included his name and contact information.”
Tampa Woman Uses Streets Smarts in Job Hunt:
“At the break of dawn, she stood at the corner of Humphrey Street and North Dale Mabry Highway and handed out 100 resumes. Her face-to-face style may have paid off. About an hour after she started, she had gotten three bites.”
Some Gimmicks do Backfire!
A couple of highlights:
…A junior marketing professional tried sending his resume to a company hiring manager via homing pigeon, says Cynthia Shapiro, a job-search coach in Chatsworth, Calif. But as far as the job hunter knows, the recruiter wasn’t interested, because the animal never returned….
…Ms. Shapiro says a job hunter in a gorilla suit once dropped off his resume at her office at a construction company. Then, she recalls, he burst into a song describing why he would make a strong candidate. “The receptionist said he couldn’t come in, but he kept running around with balloons and calling my name,” she says. “Everyone thought it was my birthday. The CEO came out. It wasn’t cool.”
