6 Unconventional Ways to Get a Job Fast

But don’t get discouraged. Two career experts tell us it’s totally possible to cut that time in half. By using less traditional methods and a little help from the Internet, it’s easier than ever to put your resume in the hands of the right people. “Technology can give you access to information and people more quickly and accurately than ever before,” Steve Dalton, the author of The 2-Hour Job Search, says. Try this tech-savvy career advice for quickly landing a new job.

6 Unconventional Ways to Quickly Land a New Job

1. Set it and forget it. When you’ve got mad cover letters to write, scouring job boards day after day isn’t the best use of your time. “There will always be new job websites to explore, but those usually distract you,” Dalton says. Career consultant David Perry, the author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0, recommends letting technology do all the heavy lifting. Sites like Indeed and SimplyHired aggregate listings from all over the web. Set up email alerts with your exact specifications — you can even include salary requirements — and let the leads come to you.

2. Don’t stress over your personal brand. It’s true that having your ish together online can catch the eyes of recruiters and hiring managers, but if you’re not there yet, don’t freak. “It’s something that won’t be a factor until you have an advocate within the organization,” Dalton says. “Job seekers only have a finite amount of time and energy to devote to their job search, and exploring brand-new technologies is not the best use of that limited time.” Polish your presence on your favorite platforms and triple check for typos so you don’t embarrass yourself.

3. Pitch your ideas to potential employers. Want to invent your dream job? Instead of applying to job postings, put your best ideas in front of CEOs and hiring managers. “Stop telling people you’re an out-of-the-box thinker and prove it,” Perry says. “Create a job market where the only candidate is you.” He advises his clients to research the needs of ten companies, then demonstrate how they can uniquely fix their problems. When they’ve figured out their elevator pitch, it’s time to get the idea into the hands of an executive who can hire you. A quick search online can produce their email and office address.

4. Ask people out for coffee. Use networking tools like LinkedIn and Twitter to find and connect with people at your favorite companies. “Hiring managers hire based on fit,” Dalton says. “The easiest way to demonstrate fit is to let them tell you why they’re a good fit themselves, and what steps they took to become an even better fit over time.” Meeting up with strangers can be intimidating at first, but their insight can significantly improve your application, and more often than not, you’ll have someone rooting for you inside the organization.

5. Upgrade your resume. “Ditch your old boring black and white resume full of ‘responsible for’ statements,” Perry says. Include testimonials from your LinkedIn profile, letters of recommendation, emails from happy customers or annual performance reviews to stand out from the crowd. Make sure your accomplishments are front and center.

6. Mail a personal note. If you’re not sending your application to someone’s email address, good old-fashioned snail mail can go a long way. Find the address of the company’s HR office online. Rather than forwarding your resume in a stale legal envelope, pick out a nice card. Perry explains that most people associate small, square envelopes with invitations and thank you notes. “The employer will be smiling expectantly as he or she opens the envelope,” Perry says. Begin with something simple like, “Thank you for reading my résumé!”

How did you land your current job? Share your tips @BritandCo!

(Photos via Getty)