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6 people who went beyond the CV to land their dream job

Nathan Ouriach
Marketing Executive

The job application process has evolved from the days when our parents simply walked into offices in their new suit and a hand-written CV. Most of us are familiar with the MS Word, tommy gun scattering application process but now, for a new generation, a CV just isn’t enough.

With the rise in popularity of digital media and technology, applicants aren’t expected to simply write their name, number and employment history but cultivate exciting and engaging “CV experiences”. Long gone are the days of “vacancy” signs hanging in shop windows, they’ve disappeared with the milkman and the Super Nintendo. The real world demands that bit extra.

Here is a list of the craziest, most speculative and boldest moves people have made in the search for their dream job.


1. Matthew Epstein: “OMG PR stunts and WTF marketing”

Matthew Epstein’s dream job was to work for Google. So much so that he created the website googlepleasehire . me,  collected all of his savings and started an expansive marketing and media blitz appropriately titled: “OMG PR stunts and WTF marketing”. Initiated by a Burgundy-esque moustached video CV he followed it up with a cardboard cut-out of himself sent directly to Google HR in Mountain View. Within a short period of time, he had accrued over 4,000 Facebook Likes, 3,000 tweets, 400 LinkedIn profile views and over 50 job interview offers.

You’ll have to Google him to find out how the story ended.

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2. "Josh Butler Wants A Job”

Josh Butler was 18 when he put himself up for auction on Ebay. After searching for a job after his A-Levels, he found it impossible to find one despite applying for more than 600 positions. With a smart picture and a price of £16,000 Josh was offered a position at John Lewis, in addition to being contacted by a few call centres.

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3. Liz Hickok's christmas lights

A woman from Georgia, Atlanta named Liz Hickok had become a bit of a small town favourite for her Christmas decorations. However, in 2011 she used the lights to not only spread good will to all men but to get herself a new job. Her lights read: “My wish, HR job, Liz Hickok, Linked In." The LinkedIn messages and views poured in.

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4. ‘Jobless Paddy’

Galway jobhunter Féilim Mac An Iomaire had been unemployed for 9 months, after returning from overseas. After losing hope, he decided to go all in and spent his savings on a large billboard. Using his marketing graduate acumen, he paid for a billboard on Dublin’s Merrion Road for a fortnight at a total cost of €2,000. The billboard read: ‘Save Me From Emigration’ with a contact email.

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5. Dan Conway, ‘The Extreme Job Hunter’

Krispy Kreme bribes, an intimate folk song and a CV in a piñata. Dan Conway has tried them all but his Domino’s Pizza takes the prize. With a job at Newcastle University’s Marketing Department up for grabs, Dan went to Domino’s Pizza, ordered a Meat Feast and sent it to the HR department with a CV written inside the box.

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6. The Google Job Experiment

Everyone occasionally Googles themselves so why wouldn’t your potential boss?  On Googling Creative Directors he admired, Alec Brownstein noticed that none of their names had any sponsored links attached. He capitalized on this and with $6 in Google ads he targeted a few Directors with the message: "Hey, [creative director's name]: Goooogling [sic] yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too" with a link to his website. A couple months - and a few self-indulged Googles later - he had been contacted by the directors and by the end of the year secured a job.

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