What can you do to stand out in the job hunt?
Hint: sending out our boring resume won’t help!
Instead of sending out a boring old resume, I decided to send a pitch to a company I love! I used Crash’s Pitch Builder to make a simple one-page website to show my skills and sent a personal video about how much I love the company. In the video, I included ways I could add value to the company.
The company is called Crash. Their founder, Isaac Morehouse, is a visionary with imagination and courage to try out some crazy ideas to make the world a better place.
Crash’s idea is to show things you’ve done of value – from projects you’ve worked on, to valuable skills you learned, and send a pitch to companies you are interested in working for. As a bonus, you can add a short 1-2 minute video highlighting your valuable skills and personality.
Start Working for Free
I started working for Crash before they hired me by creating a project for them before they even asked! I saw a project that needed to be done and did it for them for free. They didn’t have any openings, but I figured that if they liked what they saw, they’d at least meet with me.
For example, I noticed the PDF Crash Pitch Guide was difficult to read on a phone, so I created a responsive webpage for their guide instead.
Send the Pitch
I was a bit apprehensive to send out my pitch. Was it good enough? Would Isaac be off-put by the audacity of my pitch?
I decided to send it.
I emailed the founder, Isaac Morehouse, telling him that I loved what he was doing and that I created a 2-min video just for him.
It worked!
He replied a few hours later telling me it was an excellent pitch and wanted to meet with me.
In my pitch, I offered to work for free for a month to try things out. This gave Crash a way to test things out. Who doesn’t like free? If it didn’t end up working out, I’d at least have a few projects to add to my portfolio.
My First Official Project
In a follow-up to our meeting, Isaac told me he wanted me to create a compelling video for Crash’s social media, enticing people to join their email newsletter, The Daily Job Hunt. I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I told him I would.
Check it out below!
The video is not perfect. It didn’t go viral. But, it is a starting point to build from.
Follow Up with Another Pitch/Project
You don’t have to stop at your first pitch. You can show your hustle by following up with another pitch or project.
I felt that Crash’s homepage needed some work, so I decided to create a mock-up redesign of Crash’s homepage using a free WordPress.com webpage.
Isaac decided not to go with my homepage redesign. Even so, I had the opportunity to get some feedback from the project, while he learned about my ability to take initiative.
I still think my website layout looks better and has a better call-to-action, especially on a phone. Take a look and let me know what you think.
You Don’t Have to Quit Your Day Job
I’m not looking to quit my day job. I’m looking for work in addition to what I already do.
Do some side projects until you find a job you love. Create forward momentum.
Take control. Learn out loud. Hustle. Be the author of your job hunt.
Aaron Olson 