Six Job-Search Tactics to Avoid at All Costs
With a headline like "6 Crazy Job Search Tactics," you'd probably expect a story of job seekers whose unconventional methods helped them land work in today's hyper-competitive market.
And that's exactly how Kaitlin Madden's CareerBuilder.com post starts out, with the tale of an advertising pro whose ingenious Google hack led to a job with a top agency.
But that's where the good stuff ends. Madden goes on to list six job-search suggestions that range from hilariously awful to just plain idiotic, as culled from job seekers and hiring managers. For example:
"One of my clients received the following advice from a previous career coach: Never send a résumé when applying for a job, even when it is requested in the advertisement. Just send a pitch letter requesting a meeting with a company executive." -- Lavie Margolin, job search adviser, Lion Cub Job SearchYep, I'm sure a hiring manager would love to interview someone who couldn't follow the very first instruction he or she was given.
Crazy as some of these stories are, I remain a big believer in finding ways to stand out from the crowd. For example, I once concluded a brief cover letter with "The Top 10 Reasons to Hire Rick Broida," mixing real-world reasons with funny ones. That landed me at least two interviews.
What unconventional methods have you used or encountered in your professional life -- the good and the bad?
More on BNET: