By Judy Schultz

I read recently that in today’s job market it is even more important than ever before to distinguish yourself from the hundreds of job seekers applying for the same Boston Job.

Just the other day, I discovered a job online for an entry level Desktop Publisher. Although I’m a Graphic Designer with considerable experience, I still wanted an opportunity to speak to the Human Resource agent about the position, especially since the job was located in my home town and because it was part-time employment.

Initially, I tried the usual steps: I emailed a resume, called the HR contact several times, all without any response. So I decided to become a little more aggressive about getting noticed.

Another skill I have is cake design and decorating. So I pulled the company’s logo off their website and reproduced it in frosting on a cake. I placed the cake in a cake box, rolled up a resume and tied it with ribbon around the box. The logo was an oval shape in blue and white so I used the same color scheme for ribbon as well as created 2 matching oval tags for the box. One tag read “To: Susan Smith and the Creative Team” and the other “Now you can have your cake and a talented Desktop Publisher, too! From: Judy Schultz” I dropped it off at the company’s reception desk.

I followed up 2 days later with a phone call, once again leaving a voice mail message. Eventually, I received an email from the HR person requesting an interview.

At the interview, the HR person said the package was well-received. Immediately she brought it to the creative team and said “This is another application.” Their response was simply “Huh?” Ever so gently they proceeded to open the package. One designer saw a glimpse of what was inside and said “I will die if that’s our logo inside!” They were blown away!

I was very impressed with the company, but when all was said and done, the salary was prohibitively low for my needs so I removed myself from consideration. But I was successful in getting myself noticed and leaving a memorable impression. Who knows? Perhaps they will need a graphic designer sometime in the future either on a freelance (I suggested that option in my thank you letter) or permanent basis.

I hope this has inspired all you Boston Job seekers out there to be more creative in your search. Good Luck!!