I’ve had several job interviews for various creative positions over the last 12 months; none of which have yet to pan out (I have been that guy a lot). These positions have been extremely competitive, with on occasion, a thousand applicants submitting their resumes for the same job. When I get short listed for an interview these days, I think about how a movie star always says, “I’m just happy to be nominated”. This is no different for me when it comes to an interview, I’m always happy to make the first cut (roughly the 90th percentile).
I make it a point to ask how many applicants there are so I know how competitive it’s going to be. It’s always either 1 of 20 or 1 of 5 if I’m really lucky; so close but still no offers. This has forced me to get creative and a little innovative to stand out from my competition.
A cover letter that REALLY stands out
With so many applicants applying, no hiring manager wants to read the same old boring cover letter 1000 times. I’ve come up with a cover letter that is concise and to the point but in a creative way. Most of the interviewers have made a comment about it and it’s part of why I get an interview. (My video interview that I would link to when I submitted my advertising portfolio to an out of state advertising agency also got a lot of attention).
Cover Letter in 140 Characters
twinter
Self-proclaimed Creative Strategist;
an intermingling of left/right brain;
a passion to be innovative
with ROI in mind. Career goal: CD.
Twit about an interview. ; )
20 minutes ago from web
Post Interview Thank You
There are a few things you must do after every interview and how you do it is also very important. The first is to ask what the next step is and you must ask for the next interview. The second thing, the one I like the most is the thank you. A hand shake and a thank you used to be all that was required; today that is not enough. Some people send out an email thank you letter; today that’s not enough. Today, to stand out from your competition, you should at the least send them a hand written thank you letter. I was doing that for awhile but so were a lot of other people – I had to take it one more step. When I applied to a PR firm I gave them a hand made press release thank you. I cut out letters form magazines and glued them onto a piece of paper to make a thank you letter that resembled a ransom note. Ransom Thank You Letter
Here is my latest Thank You for a marketing assistant position I recently interviewed for at The Design People. The idea came about when my interviewer explained to me that one of the job responsibilities would include creating their monthly in house awards. Awards? How about a trophy!
But then again, I have not been offered any of these jobs yet, so take my advice for what it’s worth. At least I’m having fun trying.
UPDATE: I got the job and now I’m that guy too.
