Research has shown that one reason candidates don’t get hired is because they don’t stand out from the competition. You may be qualified but you’re forgettable and your resume gets lost in a sea. Or as soon as you walk out of the job interview, the hiring manager forgets your face. Don’t let that happen.

You want to stand out – in a good way, not the sort of way that makes people use you as a hilarious bad example for years to come.

How to walk that fine line? OK, it shouldn’t actually be that fine. But sometimes it is.

Here are some good and bad ways to stand out in the job search, with a couple of real-life bad examples thrown in for good measure.

For your resume

Good

Match your resume to the job description. We have some guidelines on how to do this and it will help move you above and beyond the competition.

Bad

Include a picture of yourself. This will usually get your application immediately rejected since managers don’t want to be accused of any kind of decision making based on appearance. Yes, we all know they can see your picture on LinkedIn so it’s a stupid game we’re all playing but that’s the way it is.

Good

Address the hiring manager by name if you have access to that information. This shows that you have gone a step beyond and done your research.

Bad

Get cute with job titles like “IT Ninja” and “Marketing Rock Star.” Unless the company itself is using one of these cutesy clichés, stay away from them. They don’t tell anyone what you actually do and most people think they’re just annoying. Stick to your actual title.

Good

Deliver yourself, or have delivered, a well-designed hard copy. This demonstrates initiative. Do this as well as submitting your resume online, of course, not instead of. The hard copy doesn’t need to be as packed with keywords as the electronic copy to get beyond the Applicant Tracking System.

Bad

Pack your hard copy in an envelope with glitter. Self explanatory, I hope.

For the interview and after

Good

Find a personal connection. If you can make friends with the interviewer you’re golden. Workopolis VP of HR Tara Talbot says that for her this is what sets a candidate apart from another, all things being equal. If you can share a laugh, even better.

Bad

Off colour jokes or lame attempts at humour. A joke that falls flat is awkward for everyone so don’t try to be funny.

Good

Do your research. Trust me. If you do nothing else, do this. I keep polling hiring managers on what they want from candidates and they always come back with one answer: they want you to research the company and role before you come into the interview and the vast majority of candidates still don’t do it. Just do your research and you’ll be way ahead of the game.

Bad

Let the hiring manager know you creeped her social media. One of our managers once had a candidate ask about her children by name and a recent trip she took to Disney World. He did not get the job and she immediately changed her privacy settings.

Good

Be enthusiastic. Show your interest in the position, ask about next steps, follow up with a thank-you note. Enthusiasm is something hiring managers say makes a huge difference.

Bad

Become a stalker. Follow up with emails and phone calls, hang out outside the building until you run into the interviewer and generally terrify them. We have a story of one guy who lost a job offer with his aggressive follow up. Know when to quit.

Good

Wear something memorable. Everyone is going to show up dressed in black and maybe grey or blue. I’m not suggesting you wear an orange suit but a conversation piece like a large piece of jewellery can be a good choice. I have waist-length grey hair and don’t look like I’m old enough to have a full head of grey so I stand out quite a bit. This is more difficult for men – whose fashions options tend to be more limited – and in more buttoned up industries like law. But if you have incredible fashion sense it will show in any industry. Up your game if need be.

Bad

Lotion your feet in the waiting room. Yes, that happened. Read more terrible examples here.