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Unusual Job Search Tactics: The Radio Edition

Published: May 24, 2010

 Job Search       
Last week, I wrote about unusual job search strategies, and highlighted the case of Alec Brownstein, who found job-hunting success by targeting key executives with Google Ads.

This morning, I was invited to talk about those very same strategies on Washington D.C.'s WTOP 103.5FM. You can listen to the four-minute segment on job search advice by clicking the link. Two caveats: first--you'll need to select the appropriate link on that page (at the time of writing it's the second from the top). And second—no, I'm not from round these parts.

Once you've digested all of that—or even before you do—why not tell us about your favorite off-the-wall job seeking stories? And we're looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly. To get you started, here's another one I heard recently, but whose provenance I am regrettably unable to vouch for:

The Delivery Guy
A keen job seeker thought he was doing all the right things when applying to a company he was interested in. He researched the company. (Let's face it: he probably used Vault's company profiles. I mean, why wouldn't you?) He identified the key hiring personnel at the company. And then he figured out a plan to talk to that person face to face, so he could really make a good impression.

His plan? Well, that was the candidate's downfall. He dressed up as a delivery person and showed up at the security desk of the company he wanted to work for, bearing a package that he claimed his target employee had to sign for. When they duly appeared, he removed the delivery outfit to reveal professional attire, and proceeded to press a resume—plus his case for why he should be hired—onto the unsuspecting employee. The result: one seriously embarrassed worker who wouldn't dream of hiring the applicant—even if he hadn't been ejected from the building by security and told never to come back.

If you have a story you think we should know about—or a technique you're thinking of trying—please let us know about it in the comments field below. If we get enough of them, we'll collect the best in another blog post—together with a critique from Vault professionals on its chances for success or why it went wrong.

--Posted by Phil Stott, Vault.com

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