13 job-hunting tools that can be better than sending out a traditional resume

ResumUp gives you an easy template to turn your resume into a compelling infographic. Though this is probably more useful as a second page of your resume than as a replacement, it can be particularly useful in helping those who haven't had a straight career path express their work history.

Price: Free, with premium options (Web)

Lunchcruit lets you grab a “zero-commitment” lunch with a company you might be interested in working at. You fill out a short application form and then schedule a time to drop by for a free lunch and chat session. Right now, it’s mostly centered around the San Francisco tech industry.

Price: Free (Web)

LinkedIn used to basically be just a place to post your resume online. But it has since become the go-to network for easily reaching out to people in your field, and even recently for posting content relevant to your field.

And there are now many job openings you can apply to simply by attaching your LinkedIn profile, sometimes without even sending a cover letter.

Price: Free (Web, iOS, Android)

Humans love the “swipe left or right” interface popularized by Tinder that's been making its way into all sorts of places. Jobr is an app that brings the "yes/no" aesthetic to your job search. The app presents you relevant jobs in your area, one by one, and you decide whether you want to apply.

It’s especially convenient for when you have a few minutes to kill and don’t want to dive deep into your job search.

Price: Free (iOS, Android)

Freelanship connects you to an employer who needs an intern for a specific project. It’s a unique way to actually show you can do a particular job. And part of the hope is that it cuts out menial office tasks like getting coffee.

It's simple. An employer needs help on the project, and you prove you can do it. Once it’s complete, they can decide to hire you or not.

Price: Free (Web)

One of the hazards with making a "creative" resume is the chance that an employer might just hate it. With Sumry, not only do you get a simple interface for making a high-quality multimedia resume, Sumry will also tell you which companies hire people who use it.

Price: Free, with premium options (Web)

Twitter can get you into trouble, but it can also be a good way to show what type of coworker you would be. You can use Twitter to engage with ideas, share silly videos, or comment on articles that get your attention — things that are informal but not inappropriate. And employers definitely stalk people’s public Twitter accounts to get a sense of their personality.

Price: Free (Web, iOS. Android)

JobCV.me is one of the most hassle-free ways to create a resume that is just a little better than everyone else’s. The company’s templates are innovative, but not so crazy that you’ll scare off a potential employer. And it’s easy to export them as a PDF.

Price: Free (Web)

Wildcard is the equivalent of a dating app for networking. You create a "card" which shows who you are and what you are looking for, and then you browse other people’s cards and select whether you're interested in meeting. If two people both want to meet each other, their cards goes into each person’s virtual Roledex.

And you can also join and create "decks," which are collections of people based on events or locations, and serve as a shortcut to finding potential connections.

Price: Free (iOS, Android)

About.me takes the concept of a resume and flips it around. Instead of chronicling your work achievements, it helps you create a personal webpage where you can show your interests. They can be work-related, artistic, political, or anything else. It’s not meant to be exhaustive, just a bit of a personal snapshot of who you are.

Price: Free (Web)

Video resumes can be hokey, but only if you do them the wrong way. The trick is to actually be a decent video editor, and to be comfortable on camera. And if you are used to casually shooting and editing video on your phone, you should give a video resume a shot.

Humin is an app that remembers all the tiny details about how and where you met someone, and can be better than a business card for making professional connections. All you need is someone’s number, and Humin will do the rest. You’ll then be able to search through your contacts using familiar phrases like “met last week” or “lives in Brooklyn.”

Price: Free (iOS)