For those of you who haven’t heard Graham Edwards is the graphics worker who recently offered to pay £2000 to charity in order to secure a new job.

We’ve often talked about the need to stand out differentially, something I personally believe is always critical, but perhaps even more so in a down economy. Whilst Graham’s approach to this is clearly in the extreme and definitely not for everyone I admire it for a number of reasons:

• It was somewhat philanthropic in that the £2000 went to charity rather than to the future employer.
• It was structured smartly with £1000 going to charity up front and £1000 after Graham had passed his probation period.
• By being willing to risk his own money (or putting his money where his mouth is so to speak) Graham showed great confidence in his ability to deliver – something almost 100% of employers looks for when hiring.
• Perhaps more than anything it was proof that no matter what the prevailing economic environment thinking outside the box, and striving to stand out can help.

Now, I’m not suggesting that jobseekers everywhere should go and raid their savings to further their career. I am however continuing my push for jobseekers to be creative, and to look to differentiate themselves when searching.

Of course I’m slightly biased but I’d argue that one good way for jobseekers to differentiate themselves quickly and simply is to set-up a Zookel profile. Granted it won’t get the same press coverage as offering £2000, but with psychometric tests, video CV’s, personal recommendations, and more it may just help you show you’ve got what it takes to succeed.

As always we’d love to hear your feedback not only on this post, but on the site itself. And of course good luck on the job hunt!

Paul & Team Zookel