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Employers Share Most Unusual Tactics Job Seekers Have Used to Get Hired in New CareerBuilder.com Survey

CHICAGO, October 8, 2008 - As the job market tightens, job seekers are becoming more creative in their efforts to attract the attention of potential employers. One-in-ten hiring managers (12 percent) surveyed by CareerBuilder.com reported that they are seeing more job seekers try unusual antics to capture their attention in 2008 compared to previous years.


Some of the most memorable tactics identified by these hiring managers include:

  • Candidate advertised on a billboard.

  • Candidate carried around a sign that said, "Will work for paying bills."

    • Candidate brought a broom to the interview to "clean up the waste and corruption in the office."

  • Candidate wore a shirt to the interview that said, "Please hire me."

  • Candidate showed up with breakfast for the employer every day until hired.

  • Candidate approached the hiring manager in a restroom.

  • Candidate sent a giant cookie with "Hire Skip" written in frosting on it.

  • Candidate parked outside of the office building with a sign that said, "Seeking employment."

  • Candidate wrote a poem about why she wanted the job in her cover letter.

  • Candidate promised to give the employer a foot massage if hired.

  • Candidate noticed the employer wrote a blog about a particular restaurant. She persuaded the restaurant to put her name on the menu so the employer would see it the next time he ate there.

  • Candidate created an electronic resume with flash animation and musical score.


"Candidates have a short window to make a lasting impression on potential employers," said Jason Ferrara, Senior Career Advisor at CareerBuilder.com. "Those who apply resourcefulness and an inventive approach to their job search may have a better chance of standing out in the minds of hiring managers. The key is making sure you are maintaining an appropriate balance of creativity and professionalism so you are remembered for the right reasons."


Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 3,388 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions) ages 18 and over between August 21 and September 9, 2008 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset U.S. employers, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 3,388, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.68 percentage points and, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder.com CareerBuilder.com is the nation’s largest online job site with more than 23 million unique visitors and over 1.6 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 1,600 partners, including 140 newspapers and leading portals such as AOL and MSN. More than 300,000 employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com’s easy job postings, 28 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. CareerBuilder.com and its subsidiaries operate in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com.

CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com