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 the 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 my phone, so I created a responsive webpage for their guide instead.
Send the Pitch
I was a bit apprehensive to send my pitch. Was it good enough? Would Isaac be off-put by the audacity of my pitch?
I decided to send it anyway.
![](https://careerhackers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/costanza-quotes.jpg)
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 Isaac 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 decided to follow up with another 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.
![](content/images/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-05-at-8.24.14-PM.png)
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.
This post was originally published at aaronolson.blog.