With so many job board sites available like Linkedin, indeed, and Workday, it can be hard to stand out to employers from the thousands of resumes that come pouring in every day. Employers need to get a good sense of who you are, and not the list of accomplishments bulleted on your CV. Here are some of the best ways to apply for a job without a resume.
The best ways to apply for a job without a resume
1. Go after what you want
According to wildly successful entrepreneur Scott Petinga, being direct and putting your neck out on the line will get you the attention of an employer in a more meaningful way than blindly sending your resume. If there is a certain position listed online that looks like it could be your dream job, you should be DMing that employer directly through LinkedIn — and even Facebook and Twitter — to see if you can set up a one-on-one chat.
“There have been people who have reached out to me when I didn’t think we had an open position,” explains Petinga. “I’ve hired people purely because they sat across the table from me, had a cup of coffee and knocked my socks off.”
And once you have set up this meeting, you should …
2. Be as genuine as possible.
Employers just want to see that you are trustworthy and, well, a cool enough person that they would want to work with all day. By meeting for coffee to talk about the position and other things that are meaningful in your life, you can apply to a job without a resume and leave a connection that could get your foot in the door.
“You can almost think of a resume now as a social media post,” says Petinga. “It’s an idealized version of yourself. Meaning: it’s pure bullsh-t. I like people who are brutally honest. I love when I ask people ‘what is your greatest accomplishment to date?’ A lot of times I don’t want to hear about work. Authenticity is huge in those situations. Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear. Be true to yourself.”
Ultimately, Petinga views hiring someone to join his business like welcoming a new friend into his inner circle. And, with how fast-moving and crowded online job searching field is, he believes that you should find the most creative ways to apply for a job without a resume in order to stand out.
“We rarely ever post [openings],” explains Patinga, of his own companies. “I don’t want every individual who thinks they are capable to send me a resume when I’m not going to read them. It’s just a waste of everybody’s time. We are always looking for people. It’s more of a needle in the haystack situation, really. You can never have too much talent. But, I’m one of those believers that thinks I’m not the smartest person in the room and I have to surround myself with those people.”
