In today’s tight job market, job seekers are going above and beyond to set themselves apart from the competition. From walking the streets to purchasing advertising space, creative job search tactics are becoming more popular- but are they worthwhile or just over the top?

On the Street: Sean Christman and his friend Andrew O’Malley were growing impatient with submitting hundreds of resumes and applications and receiving little to no response. So, the graduates of LaSalle University and Rutgers, took their job search to the streets- wearing poster boards and handing out resumes at a busy Philadelphia intersection during rush hour. Sean and Andrew are now both gainfully employed, but they can’t contribute their new roles to their outlandish job search tactics. Although their headlining job search helped differentiate them from the pack, both men say they found their roles through traditional networking.

More recently, Wilson Lauture of Stanford, Connecticut has been standing on the street with his two sons, wearing red, white and blue posters that highlight his skills and background. After trying traditional job search methods such as online applications and networking, Lauture hopes that his latest effort will prove more fruitful. He lost his accounting job in April and is now faced with mounting debts and loan payments. With no job offers on the table, Lauture told NBC Connecticut, “We want to be exposed as much as we can so that more people can see us,” Lauture said. “We are not searching for fame. We are not begging for provisions. I just need a job.”

On the Web: Back in July, The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote an article about the types of websites job seekers were creating in order to catch the eyes of head hunters and HR professionals. While some job seekers purchased Facebook or online advertisements to drive traffic to their online resumes, other job seekers went so far as to target specific companies- i.e. “TwitterShouldHireMe.com”. With nearly 45% of hiring managers utilizing social networks and the internet to research and perform background checks on candidates, it is important to build an online presence and let your network know you are looking for positions. But in regards to job seeker advertisements online and company-specific “Hire Me” sites, some job seekers found a job, but others did not. The creator of “TwitterShouldHireMe.com” did not land a job with Twitter, but built a large network online and was able to find work through those contacts.

 

On a …Billboard: One of the most drastic examples of “creative” job search tactics was the story of Pasha Stocking of East Hampton, CT. After being laid off in June 2008, Stocking took out an ad on a billboard alongside Interstate 95 in Bridgeport. The billboard read: “Hire me! Unemployed and seeking employment,” with a website listing and a photo of Stocking in pearls and a button-down shirt. Stocking says she was so frustrated by her search that she took $2,500 out of savings to rent the billboard- but didn’t receive and good leads from the 4 week advertisement.

 

The Execu|Search Group’s Take:

  • Don’t expect to land a job just by being creative and over the top- it won’t always work!
  • There is a chance that standing on a corner with a sign and some resumes could get you a job- but is it the most productive way t o spend your time? Even if you think you have utilized all of the contacts in your network, you can always make your network bigger. Spend some time researching and find new networking groups (online or in person) to join. 
  • The internet gives you an opportunity to market their skills and create a personal brand, but don’t take it too far. Visit www.PersonalBrandingBlog.com to find out about great ways to get your name out there and build a positive online reputation.
  • Know what kind of company you want to work for and gather a sense of the company’s work environment before you go overboard with your search tactics- some companies might not take you seriously if you do something drastic.