The only thing that often stands between you and your dream job is getting noticed by the right recruiter. You can readily get attention from employers and hiring executives by adding a touch of creativity to your efforts.
Here are some creative activities job seekers should try.
1. Create Relevant Content
Sometimes, the best way to tell that you can do something is by practically doing it. These days, recruiters look for examples of your skills instead of the theoretical knowledge you have gathered from educational institutions or certificate courses.
If you want to become a web developer, you can design a dummy website while you’re looking for a job. Then, you may show this to your potential recruiters, so they can learn about your ability.
Use this creative technique if you’re about to change your line of work. For example, you want to leave copywriting and switch to technical content writing. You can write the software how-to of any popular app and add the content link from the free WordPress site to your resume.
2. Add Multimedia Content to Your Resume
If traditional resumes and job applications are not getting your desired results, why don't you try being creative with them? You can attract recruiters with an introductory video with your job application or resume.
The video should be short, where you should confidently introduce yourself and talk about your skills and experiences. If the recruiter likes your creativity and communication skills, they will surely call you for the interview.
Also, you may create a customized video for each company and describe how you can contribute to them. Upload it on YouTube and share its link with the application. It can work as an alternative to the cover letter.
3. Add Creative Content to Your Social Profiles
Living in the present era, you can't deny the relevance of social media. In fact, social platforms have become an extension of personal branding. For this reason, a large percentage of employers peek into the social media profiles of job applicants.
Now, here's another opportunity for you to exhibit your creativity to attract recruiters. Whether you’re adding your social media profile links to your resume or not, make sure to include creative content in your profile.
You can directly add your design or creative content to your Facebook account. Or, in case you have the content published on some other websites, you can share the links on social media.
4. Create a Presentation of Your Portfolio
If you want to become a trainer, consultant, or researcher, sending a presentation with your application is an interesting idea. The presentation should be short, attractive, and easily understandable.
While creating the presentation for a particular job position, use the company’s brand colors to get the attention of the recruiters. Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular tool that you can use to create a suitable presentation.
5. Add Some Infographics to Your CV
In recent years, resumes with infographics have become quite popular. You can also implement this creative approach to get attention from hiring managers. These resumes tell more stories than a traditional one and hence, have a better chance of recruiters noticing them.
While adding an infographic to your resume, make sure the recruiter doesn’t get lost in the flashy colors or odd graphics. Many hiring managers still prefer a well-written traditional resume, so you may send both versions if you want to send the infographic version.
Since adding something additional to your resume will take time, you may want to include it for the job you’re really interested in. You can use any of the infographic resume templates from Canva.
6. Put Efforts on Networking
You may have heard stories of people landing a job through cold calls. No matter how interesting that might seem, it’s not the best practice for getting a job. Instead, you should invest your time and effort in networking on platforms like Jobcase.
With the help of a useful network, you can even skip the whole process of the job application. If you have hiring managers in your network, you can get their attention immediately for any suitable job position.
While developing and expanding your network, proactively include professionals from your field. Don’t just stop contacting them after adding to your network. Interact with them regularly and ask for advice when necessary.
Moreover, connect with people who work at the company you're applying to. They can help you by sharing tips on how they got the job.
7. Create an Outstanding LinkedIn Profile
If you’re not active on LinkedIn but looking for a job, you have made a great mistake. Besides networking, LinkedIn is a highly beneficial source of finding a job by applying directly for job vacancies.
Before you start sending applications from this platform, don't forget to make your profile an outstanding one. Your LinkedIn profile is a marketing tool that’ll help get more attention for your job application, as recruiters often browse LinkedIn to check out job seekers.
You can even add the #OpenToWork badge in your LinkedIn profile photo and let everyone know that you’re actively looking for a job. It increases your chance of getting calls from recruiters even without applying.
8. Connect With the Employer on Social Media
Following different company profiles on social media will help you stay connected with them and give you a clear idea about company cultures. At the same time, you’ll learn about job openings immediately when they post them.
Also, you follow the employer or recruiting managers of your dream company on Twitter and retweet relevant posts to show your opinion. While they may not always return your calls, you can start a conversation by offering constructive opinions on their social posts.
Get Creative for Your Dream Job
A recruiter has to go through hundreds of candidate resumes each day during the peak hiring season. The more creative you become, the more chance you have to get chosen by a recruiter.
Now that you know of the creative techniques of getting attention from recruiters, you can start implementing them. Also, you can focus on building a good relationship with recruiters through social media.