Why Creativity is Your Professional Superpower

Thousands of candidates for one open requisition.
Multiple rounds of interviews.
Applying for job after job—without any response.

We’ve all heard the adage: applying for work is hard work in itself. Job hunting was no picnic pre-pandemic/recession, and with unemployment in the U.S. still over 11%, things look pretty grim in the job market right now.

Can we make things any easier for ourselves if we’re unemployed and looking for work?

How do we separate ourselves from other applicants to stand out—and is it even reasonable to think we’ll find the job we want in this economy?

To get what you want, you gotta get creative. Think outside your normal radius of industries, titles, and job search resources and techniques. Even if you don’t consider yourself “a creative”, everyone has a creative streak—you just have to discover what yours is and leverage it to your advantage.

Last month, I explained how I wrote myself into my next chapter, and social media had a lot to do with it. The head of the company I now work for had posted in a copywriters’ Facebook group about the job, and he encouraged applicants to be creative in their approach. I left a comment saying I’d messaged him, but not on Facebook—plot twist! I composed a thoughtful message on LinkedIn along with my résumé, he contacted me, I interviewed with his team, and now I’m an employee.

I tell my bio clients all the time: clichés in your professional bio materials are death. Don’t describe yourself as “seasoned” (you’re not steak) or “experienced” (literally everyone says they are) or “detail-oriented” (come oooooon). Recruiters will mentally shut down if you bore them to death with tired tropes and phrases they’ve read a million times.

(Need an example of a creative LinkedIn bio/About section? Take a look at mine: I’m always making small changes and adding details as things change, a practice I absolutely encourage.)

If you’re actively job-hunting, get creative with your networking practices, too. Meeting face-to-face may not be possible right now, but connection absolutely is. I get several emails a week about virtual happy hours, industry meetups, and conferences—and you can even initiate these yourself!

I see job seekers on LinkedIn with the '“open to work” photo frame on their headshot posting regularly, engaging with others’ content, sharing their knowledge and making themselves visible. This is how it’s done: boldness sets you apart and gets your name out there.

Creativity is your professional superpower. Tap into it, and watch your career take off.

(And if I can help you get creative with your professional presence, please reach out: I’m here to help!)

(The image for this post is a sticker that one of my favorite comedians, Pete Holmes, had made to immortalize a running joke that he and Pat Walsh (half of my favorite podcast!) shared on Pete’s podcast years ago. I lean on the “Not feelin’ it!” refrain when I’m burned out, frustrated, or creatively spent, and it never doesn’t make me laugh. In our ‘pandemic x recession’ climate, you have to get creative to entertain yourself, and I’d like to think that’s one of my own superpowers.)