Facing the most difficult job market in decades, some job seekers have resorted to using unconventional methods to stand out from the crowd. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, nearly one-in-five hiring managers (18 percent) reported that they are seeing more job seekers try unusual tactics to capture their attention in 2009 compared to last year. This is up from 12 percent of hiring managers who said the same in 2008 as compared to previous years.

"The search for employment is taking longer and is more competitive than it has been in past years," said Jason Ferrara, senior career adviser at CareerBuilder. "To compensate, some candidates have turned to extreme tactics. While unusual job search antics may attract the attention of hiring managers, they need to be done with care and professionalism so that candidates are remembered for the right reasons."

  Some of the most memorable tactics identified by hiring managers include:
  --  Candidate sent a shoe with a resume to "get my foot in the door."
  --  Candidate staged a sit-in in the lobby to get a meeting with a
      director.
  --  Candidate washed cars in the parking lot.
  --  Candidate sent a resume wrapped as a present and said his skills were
      a "gift to the company."
  --  Candidate handed out resumes at stoplights.
  --  Candidate sent a cake designed as a business card with the candidate's
      picture.
  --  Candidate went to the same barber as the Chairman of the Board and had
      the barber speak on his behalf.
  --  Candidate handed out personalized coffee cups.
  --  Candidate came dressed in a bunny suit because it was near Easter.
  --  Candidate told the receptionist he had an interview with the manager.
      When he met the manager, he confessed that he was driving by and
      decided to stop in on a chance.


  Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,543 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions; non government) ages 18 and over between February 20 and March 11, 2009. With a pure probability sample of 2,543, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.94 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com, is the largest in the U.S. with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 31 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to talent acquisition. More than 9,000 Web sites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company and Microsoft Corp. , CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com/.

  Media Contact:
  CareerBuilder
  Allison Nawoj
  773-527-2437
  allison.nawoj@careerbuilder.com
  www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: CareerBuilder