2009 is coming to an end but it certainly doesn’t mean the job market will get a fresh start. Although 2010 might be a much better year than what 2009 was, let’s face it, it certainly isn’t going to create jobs out of nowhere or eliminate layoffs altogether. We are sure when the January numbers are released in February, we will see some signs of recovery but the market will be far from being out of the woods. We have a long way to go.

Traditional job hunting tactics will always yield results, but when all else fails it’s time to tap into unconventional ways. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box and step out of your comfort zone.

If you have been looking for jobs for quite some time and have yet to land a job, it may be time to try something new. It’s time to think outside the box and give unconventional job search a try. Here are a few ways to take your job search to the next level this coming year.

Put Facebook Ads To Use

You just can’t ignore a platform that has over 350 million users. Out of those 350 million people using Facebook to connect, a large chunk comprises of companies and hiring managers looking for an ideal candidate. What if you made it easier for them to find you? Facebook ads can help you do just that.

Creating a Facebook ad is pretty straightforward. If you have a Facebook account, you can visit the advertisements page and create one. This feature allows you to pin point your target market. If you are looking for a job in tech industry, choose your keywords so your ad is shown to people who are in that particular industry. Of course there are no guarantees, but again, there are no guarantees when you send out resumes either. When conventional methods fail, it’s time to try out a few unconventional ways and this certainly is one of them.

Creating job search ads on Facebook isn’t something new. Many have tried with decent success. In September 2008, OneDayOneJob.com released a case study on how some job hunters are using Facebook ads to be seen by employers. The results were quite impressive. Creating a Facebook ad is pretty cheap and definitely something you should try if you’ve been looking for jobs for quite some time.

Become a Walking ‘For Hire’ Banner

It can be intimidating to put a banner around your neck and walk on a busy street. Many even claim that it’s a sign of desperation and employers don’t like to hire candidates who are desperate. But when you haven’t had a job for a while and it has come down to putting food on the table, it’s time to take control of the situation.

Unconventional ways aren’t easy and some will appreciate and many will criticize. At the end of the day, it’s you who matters. Go ahead and do what Leah Hannah did in August of 2009, she turned herself into a walking ‘for hire’ sign. If you have experience and can prove a employer you are capable, an unconventional job search certainly won’t be something that will cost you a job offer.

Not for the faint of heart but if you are who dares to give it all, be a walking banner. Hit the busy streets and hope a hiring manager sees and appreciates your effort.

Create a Business Card That Serves as a Resume

A resume doesn’t always have to be stored somewhere on the web, nor does it always have to be on a A4 size piece of paper. You can create a business card for pretty cheap. It is much easier to hand out business cards than it is to hand out a full size resume. They are easy to carry around, and people you hand it to usually have easy access to them. They look neat as there is no reason to fold them and all the other reasons that make normal size resume hard to hang on to, especially for individuals.

Paula Gray did exactly that in Las Vegas. She had some business card made with information about her qualification and the kind of job she was looking for. But that’s not all, she literally took matters on her own hands and hit the street. She handed these ‘business cards’ to any passing vehicle she could hoping that either them or someone they know might be looking for someone like her to hire. That takes some guts and certainly shows she has a strong desire to make things happen.

Definitely unconventional and way out of the box thinking. We hope she has landed the job because her efforts sure do tell us she is deserving. Watch the video below.

Those are some unconventional ways you can try to search for jobs in 2010. Although taking job search to that extreme may not guarantee a job, they will certainly give you some exposure. If lucky, you might get mentioned on local news channels and there’s always social media channels ready to help you spread the word. What do you think? Is unconventional job search something that we might be seeing more of in 2010? Also do you have any other examples of unconventional job search stories? Share with us.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 10:36 am and is filed under Career, Career Coaching, Humor, Job Search, Personal Branding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.