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12 of the weirdest things jobseekers have done to stand out

They say you need to stand out from the crowd to get a job - but we don't think they had this in mind.

US job site Career Builder surveyed more than 2,000 hiring managers to find out the most unusual ways jobseekers have tried to capture their attention.

Their list includes one candidate who set fire to their CV to show their passion for the role and another who brought their own props to the interview.

"One candidate made a “Top Ten” list of reasons to hire him," says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. "But while these tactics may succeed in impressing hiring managers, what ultimately determines if they get the job is having the necessary skills and experience hiring managers are looking for.”

Instead they recommend candidates think about who their audience is rather than overthink what they can do to impress them .

Here were the 12 most ridiculous:

  • Candidate found out where the hiring manager was having dinner and picked up the bill.

  • Candidate lit a corner of their resume on fire to show their "burning desire" for the job.

  • Candidate had his daughter call the hiring manager in advance of the interview to thank the hiring manager “for giving her dad a job.”

  • Candidate had a cake delivered to the hiring manager with the words “Congratulations! [candidate's name] got the job!”

  • Candidate answered a call during the interview stating that another company was calling to discuss a job offer.

  • Candidate sat on the floor during the interview and asked the hiring manager to take a picture of him with the company mascot.

  • Candidate tried to impress the hiring manager with the history of the business, which was incorrect.

  • Candidate had her resume gift-wrapped.

  • Candidate showed pictures of their relatives working at the company many years prior. Candidate acted like a game show host.

  • Candidate brought a bag of props into the interview and pulled them out as they were relevant in the questions/answers.

  • Candidate sent the hiring manager a coupon for a free meal.

HT Business Insider

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