the weirdest ways to get a job
How did you get your job?
Oh yeah…
What about the job before that?
After having the luxury of 2-3 months of being very discerning about the next team I join- I found myself deep diving how exactly people are landing roles.
For myself, when faced with a job application (via Linkedin or a “job board” 🤢) my enthusiasm wanes.
I figured this needed to be unpacked. If not for the broader population of jobseekers who felt the same but for myself, to figure out wtf was wrong with me and why was I allergic to job postings.
walking through my resume*, you can see annotations of how I got these roles.
I thought about *why* my approach has always defaulted to be extra.
I am of the opinion that hiring as a whole, should be a two way street and if I find a company I’m passionate about- I want to show them that through my creativity.
I don’t have a traditional background/university experience or “track record”
I want to be, the very best. Like no one ever was.
There’s a number of ways I’ve applied for jobs over the years.
My favourite tactic? The create-a-role.
This method I’ve classified partially under “the big swing” and partially under online portfolio/ video resume.
What is it?
Create-a-role is where I’ll see a cool company/ founder/team member online somewhere. I’ll align with their values, operating principles… whatever jargon you want to say that ultimately means “they seem cool.. I want that”.
a slightly cringey example
This “tactic” can involve emailing, cold DMing or go as far as one of my favourite/ most brazen tactics- “public” rapport building.
Like my attempt at getting hired by MongoDB
This wasn’t my first swing at Mongo. I’d previously created a notion page, specifically for getting their attention.
It didn’t go down so well. (read, I was ignored).
This method is *risky* but it’s what you make of it.
My friend James makes a living calling out companies publicly. His value prop? A (large) audience of c-suite and “senior leaders” who like to spend their disposable income on adventuring. James tags companies and partners with brands whose ICP is exactly those in his audience demographic.
He’s able to bet on himself and prior success of campaigns, and if he “fails” to secure a deal, he’s transparent enough to document it.
Then,there’s Marta
Marta created a stunning, professionally scripted, filmed and edited video for Linkedin when she was on her job search. It was “Wes Anderson” in style and racked her up over 35k followers. She has since secured her new job at Lokalise
Taking big swings
“these boomers think you can just stroll in with your (paper) resume and ask for an interview” - Gen Z, probably
In 2016, I walked into a funeral home in Sydney’s inner west- armed with only my ego and the knowledge that they were seeking a “funeral attendant”.
After confidently fibbing and claiming I had an interview, I walked out with a trial shift.
Now, it’s neither here nor there as to whether I stayed in the role. (Spoiler alert, I didn’t- embalming wasn’t for me but Chinese Buddhist funerals are very symbolic/ beautiful).
The point was that I saw the need and capitalised on that.
That’s what the founders all say, right?
Looking back, lying about having an interview was pretty deranged, and dependant on industry it could be considered fraudulent. That being said- look at the Forbes 30u30.
You’ll see that “big swings”- I’ve allocated just 1% for. Meaning I’m of the believe that out of my (fake) sample size of candidate applications, only one percent will secure a role or interview via a “big swing”.
One of my hobbies is documenting these big swings.
Enter- Adam Pacitti.
That guy ^ hired a billboard in order to secure a job.
What about my own job search?
Taking all the experience, methods and wisdom from others, I went with a public callout. I then attempt to reverse engineer a role for myself. Does it look like they need marketing/ops/ a helping hand?
So I got ~ creative ~
I sent a care package to a company (or 2, or 3)
That ^ is a thing I legitimately did. With mixed results. An emploding candy confetti box with a polaroid of myself and QR code that linked to THIS website.
I mean, cmon!
1- resulted in 2x interviews, with a non-determinate “we’ll circle back in Dec”
(granted, this was to create a role/ not applying for one that existed AND it was at a healthcare startup)
2- A polite “next time go through traditional channels because we don’t want bias” (fair but meh)- for a VC firm
3- A “we’ve clearly already hired someone else who is more corporate suited to the role and senior communications” - from a not-for-profit that I really admire.
I sent off looms talking through the JD and “pitching” myself
I even started co-ordinating my own billboard campaign with my friends at CAAsie.co
Before I started up with a videographer, I posted something stupid on Linkedin.
I thought about what I was looking for and gave honest answers when asked…
After being on each others radars for nearly 2 years, I joined tl;dv in what is legitimately my dream role. The road to joining was a slow burn but, timed with my “reverse hiring” post- it was the right time for everyone.
And then everyone clapped.
Sincerely though, job searching is weird. Traditional employment doesn’t work for everyone and my obsession is finding new and more human ways to connect.
See you soon,
Renée xx
*the abridged version, more on that in another post
Congrats on the new gig, tl;dv!!!
👏