If you’re lucky enough to land an interview and have your resume and cover letter ready, it might be time to up the ante. We asked users on both sides of the recruiting process for their most memorable tips when applying for a job. Here are the stories of 10 creatives who worked hard to apply for and land their dream jobs:
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1 – Turn the pills brown
“A candidate applied, but we didn’t call him for an interview. So he sent HR a cake. In bright red frosting, he wrote the following sentence: ‘I just asked for an interview. “We gave it to them!” – Josh Haber, All Set Human Resources Manager.
2 – Display products
“I applied to a digital agency without any agency experience, and I knew I was a weak candidate. After the phone interview, the company asked me for a writing sample. I knew my past writing projects had been very technical And boring; it didn’t speak volumes about my writing abilities. Instead, I spent a few hours researching one of the agency’s clients and wrote a blog for them. I gave them the rights to the blog and told them whether Hire me to make it public. They gave me the job.” – Christina Oswald, marketing analyst at a digital agency.
3 – Shop around
“I was offered three different jobs at the same time. I identified a few candidate companies that looked good; I stopped by and asked to see the manager; I showed them models of my work. Years later, when he was looking around for positions, I hired an intern on the spot.” – Paul Entin, President of Marketing, EPR
4 – Connection
“When I graduated from college, I really wanted to work at Office Depot, but I couldn’t get an interview at the corporate office. I tried for a few months through the regular channels with no luck. Then, I was getting ready for dinner, and I Saw someone at the next table wearing an Office Depot shirt. I approached him and told him I liked the company and wanted to work for them. He said he didn’t work in HR but that he would introduce me to someone who could help me. He gave me my phone number the next morning and I was interviewed shortly after.” – Amy Cooper Hakim, Executive Advisor and Founder, Cooper Strategy Group
5 – One foot in the door
“I wasn’t happy with my job, so I quit. When I went to a party, I only had $200 left. They were auctioning off an internship for a production assistant position, and the minimum bid was $75. I couldn’t buy it up, so my boyfriend made me an offer and I won. After talking to the internal team and asking to move into the department I had always wanted, I started interning in the Event Marketing and Sponsorship department. My new role was towards North American Event Marketing VP Report – I have landed my dream internship. I have been with the company for four years in various roles.” – Leyla Arsan, Director of Strategy, Lotus Marketing Services
6 – Make a good impression
“I was an actress in commercials and I really wanted a job in car commercials. I found out a company was hiring, so I sent them a picture of me and my car, and A note explaining how much I wanted it. I also attended an award ceremony where the company was being recognized and I sat at their table. Although I didn’t get the job initially, they hired another person who didn’t Successful actresses hired me because I stood out from the crowd.” – Julie Austin, CEO of Creative Innovation Group.
7 – Say it in a song
“The company was already considering a few candidates and I knew I had to act fast to stand out. So the day I found out the position was open, I went home during my lunch break and wrote a song about the company and made it Uploaded to YouTube to submit with my application. I shared it with a friend who already worked there and he presented it at a weekly company meeting. That night I submitted my resume and cover letter, and in the following I interviewed and got the job within a few days. “After they hired me, I sang the song live in the office. ” – Arielle LaGuette, singer-songwriter and account manager at Favor.
8 – Update your materials
“I didn’t have any experience in the role I wanted, so I decided to apply for a super resume. The format was streamlined and minimalistic, but I used a business casual photo for the top header. So I bought a custom one Cover, like a Moleskine notebook cover with my name embossed on the bottom with a slight silvery sheen. Two days later they called me for an interview and offered me the job. They told me the boss barely looked Other resumes, because my resume stands out and the boss sees me as someone who stands out in everything he does.” – Luís Magalhães, coach and consultant at DistantJob remote recruiting agency
9 – Eliminate competitors
“An applicant for a writing position on our trucking site sent us her resume and cover letter, along with a fun and very unusual gift: postcards from local truck stops and restaurants. In our Within weeks of making the hiring decision, a postcard from him arrived in my mailbox with messages like, “Hope to hear from you about your future writing journey.” She managed to make her gift indelible and unique, and immediately showed interest and creativity, making her an easy candidate for me to choose for this job.” – Jake Tully, TruckDrivingJobs Creative Team Leader
10 – Start a project you’re passionate about
“While unemployed (for 41 months), I helped start an NGO that hired me as a volunteer, which enabled me to attract my current employer. The NGO’s mission is to help unemployed professionals professionals returning to the job market. It also allowed me to do the three things professionals must do when returning to work: build new relationships, protect existing skills by using them, and learn new skills. I was a Chief Executive and chief content officer, managing media relations and social networks, that’s what I do for clients today.” – Kenneth Hitchner, director of public relations and media at Creative Marketing Alliance.
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