Job applications: Crude, Creative or Creepy

I recently read an article about Vogue photographer Terry Richardson being outed by model Emma Appleton on social media, allegedly offering her a Vogue photo shoot in return for sex. Emma was openly disgusted by the proposal and honestly I am too. I hope the day it becomes socially acceptable to openly offer up work for sexual favours is the day hell freezes over; otherwise there really is something drastically wrong with society. Modelling is known to be a brutal, cutthroat industry that often sees girls torturing their minds and bodies through extreme exercise and diet regimes in the dire hope to become the next ‘it’ girl.

Scarily enough, many other industries are becoming just as competitive, detrimental and torturous in the journey to gain that ‘it’ job. Although Appleton made it very public she would not be taking Terry’s job offer it struck a chord for me as I am about to graduate into the public relations industry, an industry where the more outlandish your job application is; the higher your chances of success. Frankly it frightened me to think, if sexual favours could be deemed part of the criteria for a ‘dream job’ application then could I be entering an industry where I could have to choose to compromise myself or lose out on my dream job?

It is no secret that the current job pool is dismal with a survey taken by Graduate Careers showing a 5% decrease for postgraduates gaining full time work within the first four months of graduating. With these statistics it is no wonder that university graduates are becoming fearful of securing a job. When I look at job applications or ‘tips’ on PR Daily on how to secure your ‘dream job’ there is a lot of talk about creativity. Apparently in a competitive industry the more creative you are with your application the better chance you have at nailing your dream job. So it got me thinking, how creative do I have to get? This then got me Googling, I wanted to know what lengths were deemed socially acceptable to secure a job and more importantly, what weren’t.

In the Forbes article, ’20 Creative Things Job Seekers Have Done to Get Noticed’ they explore creative job applications from an employer’s perspective. They acknowledge the fine line between leaving a lasting impression or a stunt that could backfire and cost you the job. “Employers like creativity, but they also want to know that you’re serious about the opportunity, “says Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder’s vice president of human resources. One employer expressed how impressed she was with one candidate who asked to be interviewed in Spanish; another was impressed by a musical number performed to explain why he was the best candidate for the job. Forbes’s article reported other techniques that worked; giving a resume on a chocolate bar and volunteering to help make photocopies when the applicant saw the interviewer’s assistant getting frazzled. That being said, one manager expressed her disturbance greatly in the article when describing a candidate’s behaviour of bringing along items from her online shopping ‘wish list’ to the job interview — so creepy.

The traditional job application seems to be venturing further away from creative and more towards a level ten stalker. Applicants appear in some cases to lack direction, meaning they are conflating the unusual and the inappropriate to get their foot in the door. This is an obvious tell tale of not knowing your audience. If you’re going to go for an elaborate job application, by all means do it but put a little time and effort into researching who it is you’re dealing with. Making yourself memorable for the right reasons leaves you with a better chance of getting the job, or at least appearing on the company’s radar.

Personally, I’ve applied for an internship at an elite Fashion/Lifestyle Communications agency in Sydney. I knew to even gain a ‘no’ response my application would have to put me on their radar. My customised box of cookies with a laminated CV and cover letter at the bottom gained me recognition and a contact from the company’s CEO. Due to timing it didn’t get me the position I was sought after. However my application, interestingly enough still put me on her radar because she took the time to ‘stalk’ my Instagram account and like one of my photos.

I personally think being creative is a great way to competitively market yourself and tailor your application specifically to the firm you are applying with. That being said here are some tips that I will be following so my applications are creatively appropriate and to ensure I am not crossing over into the inappropriate territory:

-Come to the interview prepared with ideas for the company’s development.

-Show the company what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.

-If you’re going to do something elaborate, ensure you are showcasing a skillset for the job you’re applying for.

-Know your prospective employer’s likes and dislikes; attention to detail is key.

Bottom line, if getting the job requires you to perform a sexual favour, it’s not a job worth having.

The end.