Have you seen the website dearlisarudgers.com?
Lindsay Blackwell really wants to become the Social Media Director for the University of Michigan. So, in an effort to land an interview, she created a website to grab the attention of the Vice President of Communications for the University of Michigan, Lisa Rudgers.
Apparently she got an interview. +1 for Targeted Website.
Lindsay has obviously done her research. She has locked in on her goal and at the same time, seems to have created a viral stir of it. I’ve seen a few similar attempts to circumvent the filing system that is the trash can. There’s been a number of folks who have created a pay-per-click campaign while bidding on the name of the decision maker or hiring manager. I’ve seen YouTube videos that present portfolio work much better and deliver the content with flash and style.
However, my first thought was, “Yuck, it’s done in Flash.”
Hopefully Lisa Rudgers doesn’t try to go to the site on her iPad. I wouldn’t hire her for that reason alone.
But that really isn’t fair, is it?
As I read the content that she has developed, she does a very good job of presenting herself as someone who is confident with her capabilities and eager to show her value to the organization. Like I said before, she has the goal in view and is aiming for it. I would imagine that even if she doesn’t land the Social Media Director job, she’ll land many other interviews and possible job offers.
Besides, most organizations aren’t looking to their Social Media Director to develop the platform for their efforts. In most cases, the world that is social media exists on platforms that someone else developed. You just need to have a solid understanding of them and need to be the type of person that doesn’t “foolishly blurt” into the interwebs (which means you need a Master’s Degree, right Jay?)
More than that, you need to be someone who isn’t stagnant and learns new platforms as they are invented. Be an early adopter. Creativity in writing and consistency in effort are a must.
I applaud the effort.
What do you think? Would this type of effort encourage you to meet with the applicant?
Good luck, Lindsay. Let us know if you get the job.
[Image via Graela]
karen kouf says
I admire Lisa’s creativity and the efforts she went through for presenting her resume. I agree with your assessment but, most of all, I don’t have time to watch it through and discover why she’s the right candidate for the job. Perhaps a 140 character twitter campaign or facebook page would have worked better for me!
That said, I hope she at least gets an interview!
Andy Darnell says
Pretty sure she got the interview. I wonder how much of the site and video she actually created herself. I’d like to know that.
lindsay blackwell says
Hi, Andy!
Thanks again for the great post. I did get an interview–it’s Monday afternoon.
The video I created in Keynote. The heart graphics were from a free icon set, and the Michigan map, UM campus aerial, and picture outside of my office building all came from Google Images. The song is “The Winner Is” by DeVotchKa. The rest of the graphics are my own, and I created the video (well, slideshow, really) myself.
As for the site, I used http://www.wix.com to create my own flash template. I did do minimal adjustments in the coding, but because this was a time-sensitive issue, I opted to use a site builder. Wix is a phenomenal resource, and it made it really easy to adjust the size of the video component to match up with the ‘logo.’
Let me know if you have any other questions, and thanks again for the coverage!
Cheers!
lindsay blackwell says
Karen,
Thank you for the kind words! I have an interview on Monday.
Cheers!
Chase says
Here at 37signals, those types of resume websites aren’t required but they definitely help people stand out. I think we all designed one to apply rather than going the more traditional route. Creative application sites just show a lot more about a person.
We even highlighted a few that were truly awesome: http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2709-sites-that-landed-jobs-at-37signals
Andy Darnell says
Very cool. Thanks Chase for the link.
Eleanor says
I love it! I think you’re right – it’s not perfectly executed, but I love the #DearLisa campaign. She deserves some kudos for that alone. I’m going to RT her and see if we can’t get Lisa’s attention!
lindsay blackwell says
Hi, Eleanor!
Thank you so much for the kind words and for spreading the word! It means the world.
Cheers!
Andy Darnell says
She replied to my tweet. Nice to see that she’s listening some.
lindsay blackwell says
I am certainly trying. :]
jordan fowler says
I did a crazy Facebook cover letter which landed me a job a Miller Public Relations. Viewable at http://www.jordanpfowler.com/resume. They said it is the reason I landed the interview. I will post soon how I went about putting it together.