Benefits August 4, 2005

Wearing a Tuxedo to a Job Interview?

August 4, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Want to get noticed by a hiring manager staring at a two-foot high stack of resumes? Well, try wearing a tuxedo to your interview or sending the hiring manager a singing telegram.
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Those were just two of the unusual ways applicants came up with to get noticed, according to a new CareerBuilder.com survey.

A news release said that other attention-grabbing ideas among the top 10 included:

  • bringing live references to the interview
  • sending a videotape of a candidate’s typical working day with his resume
  • taking out an ad in a trade journal
  • bringing Starbuck’s coffee for the entire office
  • repeatedly sitting next to the hiring manager at church
  • sending a flower arrangement resume – attached to each flower were little cards with resume information
  • photocopying a candidate’s face as a background for his resume
  • having the candidate’s current boss cold call the hiring manager to tout her qualifications before even applying

“Multiple people are vying for the same open positions in most situations,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com in the news release. “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.”

The survey was conducted from May 17 to May 27, 2005 and included responses from more than 650 hiring managers.

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