According to research by employment search website Simply Hired, hiring managers get an average of 34 applications per job listing, but they spend time genuinely considering an average of only 12.6% of them – that’s less than 1/3. Some applicants may feel the need to go above and beyond the average application and do something unusual or unexpected to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
Simply Hired conducted a survey to find out whether or not “nontraditional” strategies to stand out are worth the risk, or whether it makes sense to stick to a traditional resume and cover letter. They surveyed over 500 hiring managers and over 500 job applicants to find out what sort of outside-of-the-box approaches applicants are willing to take, and which ones do and don’t pay off.
Most notably, the survey found that over 63% of hiring managers find attention-grabbing gimmicks totally unacceptable, with only 20.2% saying they were acceptable. Hiring managers were also given a list of unusual strategies to rank from most to least acceptable. Unsurprisingly, the least acceptable strategy was offering to sleep with the hiring manager – which should really go without saying.
Interestingly, hiring managers also really disliked when applicants persistently emailed their resumes over and over until they got a response. One or two follow-up emails after your initial application aren’t such a bad idea – but if you don’t get a response after that, continuing to pester the hiring manager isn’t going to help.
While sending baked goods to the office was considered a somewhat acceptable strategy, sending those same cookies to the manager’s home address was a big no-no. Desserts might sweeten your application, but not if you cross a professional boundary by bringing them to someone’s home – that’s just creepy.
Another tactic that hiring managers received fairly positively was “enduring extreme weather to hand-deliver a resume” – but waiting around for inclement weather to apply for a job doesn’t seem very efficient. However, hiring managers did respond well to applicants who went out of their way to demonstrate a skill, for example, by creating a mock product or presentation or completing their interview in a second language. A librarian who was surveyed said she landed her job by making her resume into a book and creating QR codes with links to her portfolio, while a woman applying to work at the hotel hopped behind the counter and started checking customers in.
It’s worth noting that while most hiring managers aren’t into your gimmicks and games, of the 12.9% of applicants who said they have risked an unusual strategy, 67.7% of those actually landed the job.
Still, it’s probably a safer bet to stick to the protocol and not try any theatrics. So then, what can you actually do to improve your chances of landing the job?
Applicants surveyed tended to focus most of their time on their resumes, but according to hiring managers, the interview and cover letter are “the top ways to stand out among the rest.” Sure, brush up your resume, but make sure to give equal time to writing a strong cover letter and practicing potential interview questions.
In the survey, applicants also tended to overestimate the importance of knowing people within the company and having a “unique” cover letter and interview question answers; meanwhile, they underestimated the importance of asking smart questions at the interview and personality. In fact, hiring managers reported that personality was the most impactful factor in their hiring decisions.
It appears that the best way to stand out in a job interview is to wow them with your personality and nail the interview. Weird outfits, stunts, and baked goods will only get you so far – and in fact, may backfire.
fred
December 22, 2008 at 12:56 pm
LOL “dance with the right one” but are any of them dancing?
Missy Caulk
December 22, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Fred, yes they are, really busy in Ann Arbor right now. Go figure, it is snowy and cold and things are hopping.
fred
December 22, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Come visit CT! It’s like someone turned off the water.
Elaine Reese
December 22, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Busy here too … maybe it’s a Midwest thing. OK, are you the 2nd from the right?
Elizabeth Golden
December 22, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Missy, Great analogy! I am busy busy here in Huntsville also. My thoughts are that our “dates” need to get to know us first. It’s all about trust. When our buyers trust us, they’ll let us guide them. When the right home does come along, they will feel comfortable, knowing they have made the right decision, with our guidance.
Monika
December 22, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Sort of a mixed bag up here. We have people dancing…but that’s all they do..just keep on dancing and dancing.
Ken Brand
December 22, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Yes. I see it too.
How we approach “like”, “lust”, “love”, “fun”, “friendship”, “seduction”, “persuasion”, “communication” and “commitment” in real life works exactly the same in the real estate business.
Nice reminder, nice prom picture. Why do the girls at the prom look like they do and the guys look like little dorks (in most pictures anyway.)
Hoping for a big Prom in 09.
Missy Caulk
December 22, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Elaine, that is my daughter, Allyssa and all her girlfriends taking photo’s beforehand.
Ken, LOL I am hopping for a big prom too in 09.
Elizabeth, that is why we never give up or discard them but nuture them along the way.
Matt Stigliano
December 22, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Missy – I’m sure you’ve always got a full dance card thanks to your methods. Thanks for the reminder. I know there have been times when I sent out an email and thought “geez, could you have sounded anymore desperate?” I have had to adapt quickly as I went along, as most people in my office don’t deal with the internet much and as we both know, those buyers and sellers work at a completely different pace. Hope you have a wonderful holiday and a great 2009. I’m looking forward to the New Year, I feel it will be “my year.” See you around in the comments section.
Brian Block
December 23, 2008 at 7:29 am
Missy,
My favorite is those listing agents who forget to update their listings and I always laugh when I see listing remarks that say
“This house won’t last! Hurry!”
after the home has been on the market for 6 months!
teresa boardman
December 23, 2008 at 2:56 pm
LOL we used to call it “commission breath” to be successful we have to work with passion like we don’t need the money.
Paula Henry
December 24, 2008 at 6:07 am
Missy – Love the analogy! Nothing can kill a sell or relationship like desperation. If the client believes you are desperate, will they believe you are looking out for their best interest? Just a thought!
Steve Simon
December 25, 2008 at 12:05 pm
It is like “Martial Arts, a matter of balance…” You certainly would not want to be seen as playing “Hard to get” in this market!
Not to hungry, not to aloof; as I said a matter of balance:)