Company Layoffs have Made Employees More Creative About Job Seeking

In spite of company layoffs, job seekers are getting more creative about getting an employer’s attention, reveals a new study by CareerBuilder.com.

“The search for employment is taking longer and is more competitive than it has been in past years,” said Jason Ferrara, senior career adviser at CareerBuilder. “To compensate, some candidates have turned to extreme tactics. While unusual job search antics may attract the attention of hiring managers, they need to be done with care and professionalism so that candidates are remembered for the right reasons.”

Some of the more memorable stunts potential employers pulled are:

- Candidate sent a shoe with a resume to “get my foot in the door.”

- Candidate staged a sit-in in the lobby to get a meeting with a director.

- Candidate washed cars in the parking lot.

- Candidate sent a resume wrapped as a present and said his skills were a “gift to the company.”

- Candidate handed out resumes at stoplights.

- Candidate sent a cake designed as a business card with the candidate’s picture.

- Candidate went to the same barber as the Chairman of the Board and had the barber speak on his behalf.

- Candidate handed out personalized coffee cups.

The survey was conducted with over 2,500 hiring managers within the United States.