Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Job Seekers Get More Creative

BOSTON (CBS) – If you've ever spent any time out of work – and I'm guessing we all have – then you know that feeling of desperation. Like no one knows you're alive. And in that scenario we'll do almost anything to get noticed.

How often have you heard the story? "I keep sending out resumes and I get nothing back!"

The Wall Street Journal reports a study from the firm CEB finds companies received an average of 383 applications for every opening they advertised last year. I'm gonna guess a wide majority of them never heard back.

That may be because many resumes, especially at big companies, are first run through automated tracking systems that rank them based on keyword matches.

So you're actually dealing with a robot instead of a person.

And it's no surprise to see job seekers getting more creative.

One of my favorites is the guy who applied for a job with an application inside a wine bottle. Or the person who sent an embroidered cover letter. And the guy who actually bought a roadside billboard to beg for a job.

He actually got hired.

By my favorite still comes from my own experience. A resume that was sent with live lobsters. Surely that would get someone's attention. Especially when that employer returns from vacation to find a box with a resume.

And two dead lobsters.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz