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Job hunting isn\u2019t getting any easier \u2014 recent LinkedIn data<\/a> shows that the number of U.S. applicants per open role has doubled since spring 2022. Nearly two-thirds of job seekers say their search is tougher now, mostly because they are facing more competition than ever before.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the midst of this crowded market, job seekers are turning to outside-the-box strategies to stand out. Camille K. Manaois, a 25-year-old social media strategist, recently landed a job by using an old-school tactic: she snail-mailed her resume to companies she wanted to work for, according to CNBC Make It<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Manaois started looking for work in mid-May, having gleaned experience working in social media and marketing project management. She had little luck finding work, despite paying for a LinkedIn premium account and following up on submitted applications with employers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI did all the traditional things,\u201d she told CNBC Make It. \u201cI tried everything I thought was going to work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Four months into her job search, Manaois decided to change up her strategy. She sent envelopes with a note, her resume, a cover letter and a letter of recommendation from a coworker to six employers.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the note, she explained who she was and what position she had applied for and when. She also added the following lines to \u201cstand out\u201d: \u201cSome applicants rely on algorithms. I\u2019d rather rely on a more reliable route: your desk. Thank you for your time in reading my materials.\u201d<\/p>\n While Manaois acknowledged that writing the note felt \u201creally cringy\u201d and \u201ckind of embarrassing,\u201d she wanted to use it as a way to differentiate herself from the competition. Her line of reasoning was that if she mailed the application, it would get into someone\u2019s hands. Her materials would be seen, not overlooked.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Four out of the six employers responded via email, some with rejections. One employer, a sports betting company, sent her resume to another employer in the same building: communications agency Carma Connected.<\/p>\n Kristin Whittemore, vice president of Carma Connected\u2019s Las Vegas office, told CNBC that Manaois\u2019 approach \u201cimpressed\u201d everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor someone as young as her to think about putting something in the mail was just wild, so it got all of our attention,\u201d Whittemore told the outlet.\u00a0<\/p>\n Manaois went through a remote interview, an in-person interview and a mock assignment to land the job at Carma Connected: senior social media account executive.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whittemore told CNBC that the company might not have extended Manaois an interview if she had simply applied online because she lacked a background in hospitality, and the company\u2019s clients are primarily in that field. However, Manaois\u2019s \u201cgo-getter\u201d approach impressed Whittemore.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI can teach industry,\u201d Whittemore told CNBC. \u201cI can\u2019t teach what she just did; that comes from within.\u201d<\/p>\n Manaois started her new job in December, and Whittemore is happy with her work so far. According to Whittemore, Manaois \u201cjust gets stuff done on her own\u201d and \u201cfigures it out.\u201d<\/p>\n Another tactic for career growth is networking, or making connections and talking to people. Career experts have previously stated that networking is the best move to make for career advancement. For example, Alan Stein, former hiring manager and CEO of professional coaching company Kadima Careers<\/a>, told Business Insider<\/a> in November that job seekers should put networking above applying for roles and aim to have at least five conversations a week with people at companies they might want to work for.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Job hunting isn\u2019t getting any easier \u2014 recent LinkedIn data<\/a> shows that the number of U.S. applicants per open role has doubled since spring 2022. Nearly two-thirds of job seekers say their search is tougher now, mostly because they are facing more competition than ever before.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the midst of this crowded market, job seekers are turning to outside-the-box strategies to stand out. Camille K. Manaois, a 25-year-old social media strategist, recently landed a job by using an old-school tactic: she snail-mailed her resume to companies she wanted to work for, according to CNBC Make It<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Manaois started looking for work in mid-May, having gleaned experience working in social media and marketing project management. She had little luck finding work, despite paying for a LinkedIn premium account and following up on submitted applications with employers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThe outcome<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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