This Is One of the Best Ways to Find a Job (That’s Not Listed)

During a stroll through Twitter one day, I happened upon an interesting tweet that was liked by Chewy.com (the online pet store where we purchase a lot of food for our pet bunny). I was struck by it and thought, “what a great way to land a job!”:

If you're a customer of Chewy, you know they often send these hand-written thank you cards with each order. Sometimes, they'll even send you a painted portrait of your animal (yes, hand-painted!).

The personal way in which they treat customers is one reason they've built such a successful brand (among their lower prices).

Now, this isn't an ad for Chewy – but about ways to connect with people or companies you want to work for OR jobs, you wish to get.

Here, this young lady shot out an innocent tweet about how she'd be a perfect fit to write these thank you notes to customers.

Now, I don't know if she ended up getting a job with Chewy – but I thought it was an ingenious way to get noticed by a company you've been hoping to work for.

Here's another tweet I found interesting as well from Joshua Dorkin – the founder of Bigger Pockets (an online real estate networking site/forum).

Now, Joshua has an interesting story about how he turned Bigger Pockets into a thriving community (that is another post) – but here he admits they've hired people who approached them to solve one of their business problems.

As the person he is replying to in the tweet states, “some of the best jobs aren't publicly listed.”

This is something I think I fail to remember. Even if a company isn't hiring for your position–but you want to work for them–is there a way you can solve an issue they have OR approach them in a unique and creative fashion like our Chewy lady?

My experience with trying to fill a need to get a job

Thinking about this in my own life – the only time I've tried this was as a young teenager. I wanted a job at a golf course so bad – I wrote a letter to the local golf course and told them how I'd do anything to work there – even to work for free, in exchange for golf!

In a short time, I got a phone call from the pro there as he needed someone to assist with his golf lessons (and ended up paying me too!).

THE more I contemplate these above tweets, the more I wish I had done more of this in my career.

Some ways to creatively approach a company today

Here are a couple of ways, I think recent grads or others who are looking for work can get that tailored job OR work at the company they wish to work for.

1. Get social. Like Jillian in the above example – is there something unique the company does that you would like to be a part of? Send them a tweet. Many marketing teams manage the social media feeds and are a lot more apt to forward your tweet on if it is done in a winsome, clever manner.
2. Hand-write it. Also, like Jillian, who wants to write letters for Chewy, why not write a handwritten note to the contact at your dream company? Personal, handwritten anything stands out against all the digital clutter people get today.
3. Shoot a video. Why not interview yourself, load it to YouTube and send the link along to the hiring manager/contact at the employer? Another personal, creative touch.
4. Create a proposal. If you are a good writer and you see a company you want to work for doesn't have a good content marketing/blog, etc – why not approach them about how you can improve their online presence? Tell them how it can or will improve their bottom line. Show them examples of your work.

I think right now is a great time to be looking for that dream job as many employers are actively looking for employees / and unemployment is so low.

Have you tried this approach?

Of course, there are many more ways to reach out and get noticed. I'd be interested if you've gone the non-traditional route to land your job or work at a place you've been eyeing. I love to hear about it.

April 2020 Update

If you're reading this post because you have lost your job as a result of the Coronavirus, check out our page for Who is hiring during Coronavirus. We're keeping a list updated daily on all major companies that have made hiring announcements about new open roles.

You might also be interested in:

• Who is hiring during Coronavirus? List of companies creating over 500,000 new jobs – April 2020
• Would Knowing Everyone's Salaries Demotivate You?
• 6 Tips for a Successful Interview
• 6 Tips to Save Money After Landing Your First Job
• How Much Do Professional Caddies Make? (and Other Unique High-Paying Jobs)