Many job seekers who are searching for creative ways to stand out from the heap are coming up with some unusual gimmicks.  An article in the Chicago SunTimes (http://www.suntimes.com/business/1617841,CST-NWS-jobs11.article) said:

One applicant sent a shoe with a resume to "get my foot in the door"; another staged a sit-in in a lobby to get a meeting with a director, and another sent a resume wrapped as a present, saying his skills were "a gift to the company."

While the above strategies are "out-of-the-box" and attention getting, many of these tactics may actually backfire if taken too far.  Recruiters and employers may be amused by some candidates' more than unusual tactics; but they may also be turned off from hiring them.  Remember, the most valuable candidates don't need to resort to extreme gimmicks to get the attention of recruiters and employers; their experience and proven accomplishments speak loudly enough.

One tactic that doesn't require a lot of "smoke and mirrors" is finding someone who is familiar with your work and has contacts at the company or knows the recruiter you want to work with.  Ask your contact to personally recommend you to the recruiter or employer.  Don't think you have the connections?  Think again, find out who you want to work with and start asking friends, acquaintances and former colleagues if they know anyone at the company. Once you get a yes, ask them to write a letter of recommendation. You would be surprised at how far personal recommendations can go in making you stand out against the competition.