A BUSINESS analyst has proven that his CV is out of this world after it was launched into space.
Online job board Zoek ran a competition through March and April and three lucky jobseekers had their CVs placed on a digital billboard and sent to space to give a stratospheric boost to their visibility.
David Hinley was of three jobseekers who saw their CV blasted into orbit in a world-first stunt to celebrate Star Wars Day today (May 4).
David (pictured below), of Haddington, saw his CV – along with that of Lucy Russell and Sam Kapadia – presented in space using a hydrogen-filled balloon the size of a two-storey house, which carried the digital display over 100,000 feet above the Earth.
The launch vehicle, constructed and flown by aerospace company Sent Into Space, also carried tracking equipment to retrieve the craft after the balloon burst, and cameras which filmed the stunning view of the CVs against the backdrop of the Earth from above.
David found himself out of work and seeking a new opportunity during the pandemic.
Now that the roadmap out of lockdown is well under way, businesses are reopening and recruiting again, but competition for new jobs is fierce.
Sixty-five-year-old David, who is experienced in business analysis, said: "Since my last role ended in February 2020, I have submitted over 150 job applications.
“I have had positive feedback and several interviews but sadly no contracts.
“I'm delighted with Zoek sending my CV into space, which will surely 'raise' my profile!”
Hannah Scragg, Zoek's head of marketing, was delighted with the success of the competition.
She said: “We pride ourselves on putting cutting-edge technology to use for our candidates with our intelligent job matching service that finds relevant roles for them.
“I am thrilled to see the CVs launch into space to help give candidates a visibility boost and a creative way to stand out from the crowd.
“This campaign is exactly the kind of outside-the-box approach to helping jobseekers that sets us apart from other job sites.”
In addition to the space launch, the competition winners have received vouchers for skills courses, free CV rewrites, cover letter and LinkedIn profile support from professional CV-writing service TopCV and the first-place winner Lucy also received a £200 voucher.
This is not the first time Zoek has come up with an unusual way to get a jobseeker noticed and find work.
Last year, it ran a competition for people made redundant due to Covid-19.
Winner James Pemblington had his CV displayed on the back of a truck travelling up and down the UK.
Within 48 hours of the campaign going live, James successfully found a new job.
Zoek is eager to see Lucy, David and Sam experience a similarly remarkable turnaround to their career search following the exposure this campaign footage will bring.
Any employer looking to find out more about the candidate should email marketing@zoek.uk
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