Getting the job is all about standing out from the pack, and this guy took that to a whole new level.

At the end of last year, Swedish photographer Jens Lennartsson had 400 action figures made of himself, and boxed them up with a paper portfolio. It’s amazing and inspiring. And the details are fantastic.

On his website, Lennartsson explains:

“Many photographers spend a lot of cash to design the perfect portfolio, print it and send to the people they want to work for. Just to have it disappear among hundreds of similar mailings. If you’ve ever been in touch with an art director, art buyer or owner of an ad agency, you’ll know that they have a zillion things to do and as many people to meet. Unless you make an epic impression, you’ll be forgotten. I needed more than a paper folder to stand out.”

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The doll is not a 3D printing job and was made from a model by a company in Asia after he posted the project on Alibaba.com. It’s pose able and Lennartsson also did a great job on the packaging, listing included features like “Really Good Camera,” “Able to Fly,” and “Zombie Proof.” That last part probably isn’t true. Read about lying on your resume here.

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Meanwhile, the portfolio, which is the part he really wants prospective clients to concentrate on, “was designed as a map, that you are able to unfold to see the rest of the images.”

Amazing.

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Anyone would be a fool not to hire this man. The sheer amount of ingenuity and innovation that went into this should be proof enough for anyone that he is a good investment.

Lennartsson doesn’t say what the project set him back, but it looks like it might be a lot. Still, if you were to come up with a great idea like this for your resume – not that it has to be an action figure. Use your own imagination – you wouldn’t necessarily need 400 of them. Most people don’t apply for 400 jobs.

Also, I contacted him by email and he said it was worth it, adding “I’ve had a lot of new contacts and new opportunities.”

Consider Lennartsson’s words:

“Unless you make an epic impression, you’ll be forgotten.”

This is all the advice you need in your job search. Take it to heart. Is there something similarly innovative you could do to stand out with your resume or promo material?

See Lennartsson’s photography at his website.

(via The Muse)