How to Think Outside the Box When Finding a Job

Think outside the box


With so much competition in the job market, how do you think outside the box and have a solid plan in place on how to get noticed? If you didn’t realize yet, it’s going to take a bit of innovation to set yourself apart. There are so many traditional ways of trying to get a job, but with recruiters receiving on average 75 resumes per job opening, how can you be the one that they choose to contact? Be creative! Do something well. . . awesome!

There are many unique ways to get employers to notice you. But getting noticed is just one piece of the puzzle. You need to keep their attention in order to potentially be handed that coveted job offer. Some ways to get their attention won’t change – like having an awesome resume – however, let’s look at three creative resume ideas you could try in addition:

1. Infographic resume.

Infographic images have a visual appeal that traditional text only resumes do not have. They quickly grab an employer’s attention through color and design. For a hiring manager who is looking through resumes, it would likely pop off the page in a sea of words. An infographic is simply a graphic visual representation of information and your skills. So when you consider a resume as an advertisement, it makes sense that a resume could also be an infographic. Using the graphical respresentation, you can show your credentials and creative skills in a fun way!

2. Industry-related resume format.

Much like the infographic resume, you can show this visually, or built into the aesthetics of the wording. For instance, perhaps you are trying to get a writing position and you write your entire resume as if it is a blog. Think about what is unique about your field, is there a font or template that might stand out? If you need some inspiration have a stab at an idea map resume! While what worked for one person, might not be what works best for you, think about your field and your resume and how you can align them.

3. Video resume.

What better way to get through the non-verbal communication barrier that a piece of paper relies on. Making a video resume allows you to be in front of a possible employer earlier in the hiring process, and gives them the ability to assess whether or not your personality may be a good fit for their company.

There are many ways you can be unique when creating a video resume, and all you need is a computer with a webcam, no high tech recording equipment! You should keep your video to a minute and try to have lighting and surroundings that will be most advantageous.

These are some great tools to use to give yourself an edge in getting noticed so that you will get that first call for an interview. Be sure to get noticed, then keep their attention by standing out in your interview.

How do you think outside the box when it comes to jobs? How will you utilize your creativity to land that next job?

Photo by digitalart.


Popular search terms for this article:

Powered by Article Dashboard free employment application template, Powered by Article Dashboard general resume, Powered by Article Dashboard attention, Powered by Article Dashboard job, Powered by Article Dashboard general manager, Powered by Article Dashboard find a job in, Powered by Article Dashboard top employers, jobs outside the box, Powered by Article Dashboard employment application templates, how to think outside the box

Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, a video powered hiring network that connects job seekers and employers through video resumes and online interviews. On Spark Hire job seekers can create a free video profile. Connect with him and Spark Hire on Facebook and Twitter.

Discussion

  1. Tyler on the 9th May

    The last job I applied for I created an ebook for the iPad showcasing my work with explanations of my process. I also created an infographic resume alongside a traditional one. Must have worked because I was offered the job.

  2. These are some real thinking out of the box ideas. I have not had to do a resume for the last 10 years. I could not imagine having to do all that for a job. I can not make an infographic.

  3. Jean Wang on the 22nd May

    Job hunters’ resumes are becoming various. If one’s resume is not attractable to the employer, it is hard to be selected from many applications. Therefore, effective using your creativity on your resume can attract managers’ attention to get the job vancancy. In addtion, many major companies ask job hunters to film their self-introduction, which is about 5 minutes, to show what they have.

  4. ALICEZIHYING on the 24th May

    After economic depression , more and more graduates can not find jobs .Therefore, you should make different about tour interview superiority to get a job .How to attract by supervisor in new jobs are big challenge for interviewers? You should do something special about your resume. The writer give us some suggests for 3 ways to creative something new that how to do about your resume. I think these are useful recommend for freshman. In my own , I would not do redundant casing on my resume. The most important thing is doing more specialization experience or more extracurricular activities to increase my resume contents. Do a real behavior experience about your job, not just a resume paper. In result, the supervisor would like to hire you in more opportunity.

  5. Chris on the 6th June

    Yes! This is great. I created a visual resume that helped me get hired as a marketing manager. I’ve also used Apple’s keynote to make a visual resume brochure. I think employers really like it when you show initiative and creativity in your application.

Add a Comment