10 Weird Things That Can Get You a Job

In a difficult job market, candidates will do anything to get hired. But while having a good resume, great communication skills, and a knack for impressing people can all get you a job, there are lots of other, minor things that can have a larger impact on your job prospects than you might think. Some of these things are natural, while others you could actually implement in your next job search. But they’re all just a little bit weird.

Being a brunette

At some point, we’ve all indulged the myth that blondes have more fun. But if you want to get a job, you may want to change your hair color. A recent study by cosmetics giant Gariner shows that 75% of people believe Brunettes are the most intelligent among them, blondes, and redheads. Now, that’s obviously not true since hair color doesn’t determine intelligence, but if you’re looking to make a better impression on a potential employer, it wouldn’t hurt to show up with some darkened hair.

Being taller

Being of above-average height can have its problems, like fitting into cars and other common tight spaces. But when it comes to the job market, the taller the better. For every inch above the average, workers tend to make $1,000 more per year. As an applicant, you may not be able to suddenly make yourself taller, but there are several options for clothes you could wear to make yourself look a little bigger, such as heels. Having a more imposing presence during your interview could potentially make you stand out, making it easier for you to snag the job.

[Tweet “For every inch above average height, an employee tends to make $1,ooo more per year.”]

Wearing luxury bran

Everyone’s told you to dress up for the interview, but just how important is it to look the part? It’s crucial, according to a recent study by the Journal of Business Research. They found that in South Korea, people gave a disproportionate amount of favor to people whose clothes were fancier. Now, the observer has to recognize the logo by themselves and it’s not always the best idea to buy luxury shoes to interview for a job you may not get, but if you can afford it, why not go Gucci?

Having a non-foreign name

This one shouldn’t be too surprising, but it’s nonetheless strange, since your name should have no effect on your job performance. In a recent study, the University of Paris found that people whose names sounded foreign to the hiring staff, or were difficult to pronounce, met with lower acceptance and hiring rates. It’s such a critical factor that people who changed their name, even by removing one letter, are able to get more callbacks for jobs. Sad, but true.

Having a strange name

While “foreign” and “strange” are often correlated, that doesn’t mean changing your name to something simple will always help. In fact, having a memorable name (that still appeals to your country’s tendencies) can actually leave an impression on employers, as FastCompany explains. Maybe not something most of us are willing to do to get a job, but if you think changing your name to “Beatrice Duvall” will help, more power to you.

Never wearing orange

Different colors at a job interview say different things about you. White, black, grey, and a little red are popular in business. Green, blue, and yellow are popular in the creative world. But if you want to get hired, don’t wear orange. 25% of all managers hate the color, making it the least popular color of them all. There’s nothing wrong with liking orange, but wearing it to the interview will only hurt your chances of getting hired.

[Tweet “If you want to get hired, don’t wear orange! 25% of all managers hate the color.”]

Being nice to the receptionist

Funny how being nice can get you hired. Specifically, if you want to make a good impression on the bosses, it helps to make a good impression on their staff. Not only does being nice leave a good impression on the company as a whole, but some bosses actually seek out feedback from their receptionists. This lets them know that you’re not just nice when you’re expected to be, but also when you don’t think being nice will matter. And if you can behave yourself for however long you’re out waiting in the lobby, you’re bound to make a good impression with the receptionist as being patient as well.

Going to church

It can’t hurt to pray you’ll get the job, but it also can’t hurt to go to church. People who go to church on the regular tend to be more connected with their communities, and thus have more networking opportunities than those who don’t. This ends up leading to higher income in the long run. This isn’t some form of interference from the diving — it’s just common sense.

Looking while others are celebrating

As it turns out, the season you may have thought companies weren’t looking for anyone to hire may just be the one to target during your job search. Companies actually do hire during the holidays, but most us don’t think they do. This means that any candidate tenacious enough to actually send out resumes and CVs while everyone else is sipping eggnog and taking a break is far more likely to get the job than, say, someone who does the same while everyone else is also looking for jobs. Timing is everything!

Arguing with your boss

Common sense dictates you don’t want to get into a shouting match with your boss during the interview. But that doesn’t mean you should roll over, either. Large companies like Google are beginning to see the benefits of hiring people who are humble yet feisty, who understand when fights aren’t worth fighting but know when something is important enough to defend. Leaders want people they can bounce ideas off of, not yesmen, and if you can raise a point of concern about something without sounding stubborn, you’ve got a good chance of gaining favor with them. Just don’t call them on their orange suit.

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