Creative Ways To Get A Job.

In an economy where the competition is
tighter than ever, it is important that you
take on geurrilla tactics to stand out from
the rest.
Sometimes I ponder, and try to articulate
how I got to this point in my life. I guess I
really never thought about it till I sat down
to write these words. On May 8th 2010 I
graduated from a small historically black
institution called Bethune Cookman
University. I had the opportunity to go to a
more known school but I opted out because
I received a full scholarship to attend BCU.
I took all the steps in the right directions to
secure a great job after I graduated. I joined
one of the best sororities in the world Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. I was in the
honors program, and president of the
honor society for my major. I even was the
only one granted at my school an internship
at Target for their executive leadership
program, and despite all these great things
it was not enough.
Once you get in the real world thousands
will be just as competitive as you are. They
will have all the right accolades with good
grades, internships, and members of great
associations. In this tough economy you
must rise above the occasion to do
something that will make you stand out, that
will make a person say wow I must hire that
person.
After graduation I was applying to countless
jobs. A lot of times they will email me back,
“great resume” or “come in for an
interview”, but it seem nothing could stick.
So I took a chance and took a summer
internship with a small company called
Partnership I did not get paid, but the
experience was tremendous. Not only did I
acquire the skills to write proposals, but I
also learned more about the emerging
markets and the global world around me.
After a summer internship I felt that I was
prepared to move on to a paid position. This
is how I arrived at my current job, The
Whitaker Group. The Whitaker group is a
premiere business advisory firm, consulting
US companies who want to expand to
Africa. I knew this place would be my dream
job, but I also knew that same dream would
hold true for many others as well. I thought
to myself how can I get my application to
outshine others, and finally I came up with
the idea. I did my research on the company
and wrote a cover letter that reflected that.
After I put together the cover letter, and
resume I bought a beautiful coffee mug and
a pretty pink bag for it to go in. I folded up
my resume and cover letter and placed it in
the cup and then took the present to the
office. I dropped off the present in person
and told the secretary this present is for the
CEO and just let her know it was from me.
After a few hours I got a call from The
Whitaker group, and they told me they
wanted to interview me right away. I had an
interview with the human resource
manager in my, and then I was told the CEO
wanted to see me. As I sat down in her
office she looked at me and said, “I normally
do not meet the people being interviewed,
but I just had to meet the girl who was
creative enough to send me her resume in a
form of a gift” Then she proceeded to say. “I
wish you all the best and maybe I will see
you soon”. A week later I was told I got the
job, and now we fast forward to February,
and I am still here doing very well. I am not
saying this technique may work for
everyone, but sometimes extreme measures
have to be taken in times such as these. I
leave you with a few pointers to take away
with you as you are venturing out for
employment.
• Always do your research on the
companies you are applying for. It is good
to research these companies because if you
are granted an interview with a manager,
they will be impressed when you have an
extensive knowledge of who they are and
what services they provide.
• Always include a cover letter with your
resume. A cover letter can showcase some
areas the employer may have not been able
to see in your resume.
• Think of out of the box ways to get
employers attention. Even if you do not go
my route of obtaining a job leave them with
a catchy phrase at the end of your cover
letter or even personally deliver your resume
and cover letter to the company in which
you are applying for.
• It is okay to take an unpaid internship for
a short period in order to gain experience. If
your situation allows it take a few months to
do an unpaid internship. Sometimes these
internships give you the most experience
and it can lead you to a paid position.
• After an interview send a thank you letter.
Most people do not send a thank you letter
after an interview, and this can be another
way to stand
out from other applicants. Tell them thank
you for interviewing with me and then
highlight something that was discussed in
the interview.
• Lastly never give up. With the economy
changing and the workforce getting more
competitive, getting a job will be tougher..by Chika Awuzie