Weirdest Job Seeker Stunts

By  Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com

What would you do to get your dream job? Bribe the employer with food or gifts? Hit on the hiring manager? Become a stalker?

Job seekers will do almost anything to stand out among the competition. There is no length a candidate won't go to and no line someone won't cross in order to get a job.

Hiring managers nationwide shared the most unconventional methods job seekers used to grab their attention in CareerBuilder.com's latest survey "How to Get in the Front Door."

While some candidates' efforts were impressive -- like giving Power Point presentations, distributing portfolios on CD and working for a day to demonstrate talents -- others' were complete turn-offs.

One candidate called incessantly for weeks before and after the position was filled. Another clueless candidate asked for another interview after being told that the job was filled. One job seeker brought coffee for the entire office, while another asked the interviewer out to dinner.

If you think that's weird, here are some of the most bizarre things job seekers did to get noticed:

Wore a tuxedo.

Used a celebrity official fan site as one of their portfolio accomplishments.

Brought a baby gift to the interviewer who was pregnant.

Sat next to the hiring manager in a church pew.

Left Yankee tickets for the interviewer.

Sent a nude photo of himself to the hiring manager.

Tried to do a stand-up comedy routine.

Waited for the hiring manager at his car.

Came dressed as a cat.

Said they "smiled on command."

Multiple people are vying for the same open positions in most situations. Trying something out of the ordinary to market your skills and accomplishments can give you an edge over other applicants. The key to executing effectively and making yourself memorable for the right reasons is coupling creativity with professionalism and persistence.


Rosemary Haefner is CareerBuilder.com's Vice President of Human Resources and Senior Career Adviser. She is an expert in recruitment trends and tactics, job seeker behavior, workplace issues, employee attitudes and HR initiatives.
Copyright 2005 Careerbuilder.com.

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