First off, the word “wacky” should not be used in any form of writing. Second, this Yahoo Hot Jobs article – Wacky Job-Seeker Stunts – lists some . . . zany gimmicks for attempting to land a marketing/advertising position:
- Puts up posters of himself in your company parking lot.
- Attaches pineapple scratch-and-sniff stickers to his resume.
- Announces his candidacy with a singing telegram.
- Sends lottery tickets with her resume.
- Rents a billboard that you can see from your office to list his qualifications.
- Bakes cookies with icing to write several reasons why she should be hired.
- Delivers pre-paid Chinese food, including a fortune cookie with his name and number.
Yeah, it doesn’t work (emphasis mine):
Less than half of the executives surveyed — 46% in advertising and 34% in marketing — said they might consider an applicant with a gimmicky resume, and only 2% of marketing execs and 8% of ad execs said gimmicks would help a candidate get hired. In other fields, where creativity is a less critical job skill, a candidate who sends a shoe “to get a foot in the door” will probably be dismissed as unprofessional, recruiters say.
Standing out is one thing, singing telegrams are another. I’m always amazed that candidates don’t do the simple things to land a job like simply calling in to a company if they provide a number. A well-written resume with a focused cover email goes a long way. A network contact may have an in or know somebody in the company.
Again, it is amazing how candidates will focus on gimmicks when content is king.
Of course, they were marketing positions.