Job seekers’ creative pitches catch employer’s eye

GUMBO STAFF REPORT

Looking for the right staffer can be pure drudgery. The job interview process can be time consuming, but it doesn’t need to be boring.

A national poll recently asked executives to describe the strangest pitches they’ve heard from potential hires. The responses ranged from a man who said he’d be a great addition to the company’s softball team to a woman who sang her responses to interview questions.

Accountemps, a specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and booking professionals, asked 150 senior executives to respond. The executives were from human resources, finance and marketing departments at the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, “What is the wackiest or most unusual pitch you’ve heard from a job seeker about why he or she should get the job?” Included are some of their responses:

• A candidate sang all of her responses to interview questions.

• One job seeker said he should get the job because he had already applied three times and felt that it was now his turn.

• One individual said we had nice benefits, which was good because he was going to need to take a lot of leave in the next year.

• An applicant drafted a press release announcing we had hired him.

• A gentleman delivered his entire cover letter verbally as a rap song.

• An applicant once told me she wanted the position because she wanted to get away from dealing with people.

• One person brought his mother to the job interview and let her do all the talking.

Admittedly, these tactics are amusing. But they also reveal that many job candidates need to perfect their pitches, according to Accountemps.

The firm offers the following tips when answering the question, “Why should I hire you?”:

• Look on the bright side. View the question not as an obstacle, but rather a way to describe the value you bring to the organization.

• Tailor your response. The best responses highlight your abilities that directly relate to the job. If you are applying for an accounting manager role, for example, a good answer might be, “I was responsible for managing a high volume of accounts payable and receivable records in my last job, so I’m well equipped to handle the scope of work for this role.”

• Show enthusiasm. Along with describing how your experience benefits the employer, point out what makes you interested in that particular company.

• Prepare, prepare, prepare. Before the interview, plan how you will respond if you are asked to explain why you should be hired. Even if you are not asked this question, you can incorporate some of those points.