Workplace

Twenty-five-year-old Trae McNeely recently spent a day going door to door, handing out résumés to more than 40 Oklahoma City businesses, said Paula Burkes in The Oklahoman. McNeely’s cold-calling tactics were generally well received, but have yet to land him a job. “It may come down to me sitting alongside the highway with a placard: ‘Have degree. Want job,’” says McNeely. Job-seekers have tried crazier tactics. In a recent survey by OfficeTeam, hiring managers said they’d seen it all—from résumés delivered in pizza boxes or shaped like paper airplanes to applicants staging monthlong sit-ins.

But creative steps don’t always end in success, said Dana Mattioli in The Wall Street Journal. Recruiters say that “candidates often hurt their chances by appearing brazen, overly persistent, or rude.” It’s one thing for a marketing candidate to submit a creative résumé, but quite another to show up for an interview unannounced or—true story—have your mother call on your behalf. No matter what the unemployment rate, your best bet is to network, write a solid résumé and cover letter, and show up for interviews only when expected.