May 19, 2009

Gimmicky resumes may not be worth the risk

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You know the competition is fierce out there. You really want your résumé to stand out. So you decide to include some kind of eye-catching gimmick to make the hiring managers sit up and take notice -- something like including a shoe with your job application, with an explanation that you want to "get your foot in the door." Or buying a billboard across the street from a company, displaying your job qualifications. Or putting your name and contact information on golf balls and sending them to hiring managers.

Clever, eh? Well, not everyone agrees, according to experts at The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for marketing, advertising and web professionals. One person's "creativity" can be another person's annoyance.

In a 2008 Creative Group study of 250 marketing and advertising executives, 52 percent of the respondents from marketing firms said such gimmicky ideas come across as unprofessional and backfire on you. Only 2 percent of the marketing execs thought that clever stunts would increase your chances of getting a job. Ten percent said the tactic can be beneficial, but often misses the mark, and a third thought they were OK as long as they didn't detract from the intended message. That's a lot of caveats. (The advertising execs in the study were a bit more charitable; only a quarter of them found the gimmicks unprofessional, 8 percent thought they'd be helpful and 17 percent said they were beneficial but often miss the mark.)

So what does The Creative Group mean by "gimmicks"? Here are some of the examples of real stunts study participants in the survey said they received:

• "The job seeker sent a bowling pin and said, 'I'll bowl you over.'"

• "One candidate took a picture of himself with every one of the client's products and sent three photos a week for an entire month."

• "The applicant sent six postcards, and each was a piece of a puzzle. When you put the puzzle together, it was his resume."

• "One person sent an egg carton with faux eggs and a message saying she 'delivered fresh ideas daily.'"

• "The applicant sent his resume on a big hamburger roll, saying his 'brains were on a roll.'"

While The Creative Group still encourages creativity (naturally), it recommends that any novel, attention-getting ideas in a résumé should be part of a cohesive campaign that underscores your unique skill set and is consistent with your portfolio.

"More than ever, job seekers need to be able to articulate their personal ROI and quantify their roles," says Maria Scheleen, director of The Creative Group's Seattle division. "How have you helped your company save money and/or generate revenue? What hybrid skill sets can you contribute to an employer? Give specific examples of what you have done, not what you can do."

For example, she says, if you are a web design professional, can you also code in HTML/CSS? If so, you may be able to save the employer money by hiring just you instead of a designer and front end developer.

So, what about the Hire Ground readers out there? What's the most unusual tactic you've ever used to get a hiring manager's attention? How did it work out for you? If you have any cautionary tales or sage advice, please pass it on.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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Geoff Hazel | May 19, 2009 11:46 PM | Reply

I was asked to prepare a "technical presentation" for an interview. this would be for a subsequent interview session. No specified topic, I could pick anything. I chose "silverware" and presented it as if it was a "new invention". Everyone loved it. If I had it to do all over again I would do it the same way. The story had a happy ending: After keeping me waiting for 30 minutes for my offer letter, they told me that they loved me but corporate had decided to cancel the job opening. Why is that good news? Because corporate closed that office 6 months later.

Rod Mattson | May 21, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply

The most unusual thing I have ever done to find a job was to let my fingers do the walking through the yellow pages. I know that sounds simple; but, how many people try it? Richard Bolles, in his book, What Color is Your Parachute, says your chances of finding a job this way are 60% in any economy.

I was forced to try it the first time when I moved back to Seattle expecting to start an internship. The morning I showed up to start, the employer informed me that he had changed his mind on the position. I was in disbelief having packed up and moved across state, then angry, then depressed. I went back to the basement room I was renting and crawled into bed for the rest of the day wondering what I was going to do next.

I got up the next day and opened the phone book. I started calling training companies that might have a postion open. On my 28th call, the phone rang and rang, then a man answered the phone and I asked if they had a position open for an intership. He said, that the executive committee just talked about looking into how to find an intern that very morning in a weekly meeting. He asked how soon I could come down. I was there in an hour and was offered a paid internship for that school quarter. After the intership, I was offered a permanent position.

If they had called the Universities and put an ad for an intern, I would have competed with thousands of others as good paid interships are not easy to find. I crossed the state for one and it fizzled.

Opportunity combined with preparation created my luck. The receptionist left the desk for a bit and the President of the company just happened to be walking by when my phone call came in. If she whould have answered, she didn't know what they talked about in the morning meeting; since they never had an intern she would have told me "no" leading me to call number 29. But, my persistance, my education, my preparation just happen to intersect with their needs and the desired outcome was good for all.

As for gimmicks, I'd say it depends. No matter how bad your resume is, someone will love it, and no matter how excellent your resume is, someone will hate it. You don't know. I'd say more people than not will be annoyed with a gimmick. You need an attention getter, as Maria Scheleen described, that will meet the needs or solve a problem of the prosepective employer.

However, if gimmicks are part of your personality and your way of expressing yourself, I'd say do them and with persistance, you will come across a like thinking employer and everyone will be happy. The odds are lower, but what else have you got to do?

For an information packed seminar on the job hunt to find your most unfair advantage over everyone else, come to our seminar on June 3, 2009 at the Best Western Evergreen Suites in Federal Way at the intersection of I-5 and 320th S. We have three seminars for your convinience at 10am, 1:30 and 5PM. See details on our website at www.MattsonCommunication.com

Rod Mattson
www.MattsonCommunication.com

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