Employers Share Most Memorable Things Candidates Did to Stand Out that Worked and Didn't Work

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Aug 08, 2013, 04:00 ET

CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Would you hire job seekers who sang their interview, dressed as a clown, or printed their resume on a chocolate bar? CareerBuilder asked 2,076 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide to share the most memorable methods candidates have used to stand out from the crowd, and whether their creativity got them hired. The study was conducted online by Harris Interactive^© on behalf of CareerBuilder from May 14 to June 5, 2013.

Techniques that Worked

Candidate contracted a billboard outside of employer's office.
Candidate gave a resume on a chocolate bar.
Candidate showed up in a suit with a red T-shirt underneath a white shirt. The red T-shirt had a message - "Hire me, I work hard."
Candidate asked to be interviewed in Spanish to showcase his skills.
Candidate crafted the cover letter like an invitation to hire her rather than a request(similar to wedding invitation).
Candidate climbed on a roof the employer was repairing and asked for a job.
Candidate performed a musical number on the guitar about why he was the best candidate.
Candidate volunteered to help out with making copies when he saw interviewer's assistant was getting frazzled.
Candidate repaired a piece of company's equipment during the first interview.
Candidate sent a message in a bottle.

"Employers typically aren't looking for the most outrageous candidate, they're looking for the best fit," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "Thinking outside the box is great, but the stunts that work best are the ones that showcase your relevant skills and abilities. The focus of the interview should be why you would be a great addition to the team, and not what you're willing to do to get noticed."

Techniques that Didn't Work

Candidate back-flipped into the room.
Candidate brought items from interviewer's online shopping wish list.
Candidate sent a fruit basket to interviewer's home address, which the interviewer had not given her.
Candidate did a tarot reading for the interviewer.
Candidate dressed as a clown.
Candidate sent interviewer some beef stew with a note saying "Eat hearty and hire me J."
Candidate placed a timer on interviewer's desk, started it, and told interviewer he would explain in 3 minutes why he was the perfect candidate.
Candidate sent interviewer a lotto ticket.
Candidate wore a florescent suit.
Candidate sent in a shoe to "get their foot in the door."

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive^© on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,076 workers (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between May 14 and June 5, 2013 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 2,076 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.15 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 50 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and talent and compensation intelligence to recruitment solutions. More than 10,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com

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SOURCE Career Builder, Inc.