Applicant hired after applying for a job via a roller banner

A graphic designer from South Yorkshire delivered a stand-out job application in the form of a pop-up banner to help the hiring manager at an online printing business visualise her working in the office.

With the number of people claiming unemployment benefits rocketing by 856,500 to 2.1 million in April (ONS), the current job market is highly competitive.

Fuelling this struggle for the current stream of jobseekers are the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, forcing many companies to hold virtual interviews via phone and video call.

With this in mind, Rotherham-based Graphic Designer Lauren Baldwin (27) knew she needed a way to help her potential future employer, the UK’s largest online printing specialists, instantprint, visualise what it would be to work alongside her.

After researching into the company’s values and confirming the team-focused culture through its website and social media channels, she nailed the tone for her application with a printed roller banner featuring a friendly yet professional picture of herself that hiring manager and Creative Lead, Jennie Talbot, could place around the office.

Jennie said, “I couldn’t miss the opportunity to interview the girl that sent me a banner of herself solely so I could get a sense of working with her. With social distancing restrictions in place, we’ve been interviewing candidates virtually but Lauren cleverly created a way for us to visualise working with her with one of our very own products.

What made Lauren’s application so great was it showed off her sense of humour, fit for the team and her graphic design skills in one go! It really made Lauren stand out as someone who read the job description, understood the brand and demonstrated the out-of-the-box ideas she’s capable of producing”

The printed roller banner arrived at instantprint complete with Lauren’s CV and portfolio rolled inside. A now hired Lauren told us, “Excuse the pun, but from what I’d seen of instantprint, I knew it was 100% my type on paper so I was keen to be considered for the role. Knowing what the current job climate is like, I knew I had to go big with my application if I really wanted to stand out – and what’s bigger than a 2-metre-tall roller banner with my face on it?

When Jennie asked me if she could tweet my application I didn’t think anything of it, but the outpouring of love on social media has been incredible”

instantprint’s parent company, Bluetree, has recently created 450 new job roles in their Rotherham-based manufacturing facility, doubling their workforce. Amidst this huge recruitment drive, Head of Team Experience at instantprint, Vicki Russell, told us:

“We’re currently in a period of significant growth here at Bluetree, and one of the reasons we’re so proud of our incredible team is that we’re all working towards the same goal. Values are an incredibly important aspect of our recruitment process because they’re something you can’t train. Compatible values are an unparalleled quality in a  candidate and are the key to successfully growing any team.”

Vicki’s Top 3 Ways to Make Your Application Stand Out

1. Show you know the company

If you’re spending hours researching into the company you’re applying for (which is a vital  thing to do, by the way!), make sure this is evident in your application. Think about why you’re the perfect fit for the company and that particular role. Look carefully at the words they’ve used in the job advert and mirror them as best you can, giving examples of how you’ve demonstrated those skills.

2. Demonstrate your successes 

Don’t just write a job description on your CV. Employers want to know what changes you brought about or successes you gained at your current role. Whether you smashed targets consistently or improved a process, businesses are looking for candidates who will make tangible improvements to their company.

3. Show off your personality

Having all the skills, qualifications and experience required is certainty helpful with your application, but in today’s crowded job market it’s essential that your application ‘cuts through the noise’. One thing that is unique to everyone is their personality, so I would recommend anyone applying for a new job use this to their advantage.