Memorable résumés: 15 that impressed—for reasons good and bad

A survey by CareerBuilder and Harris Interactive found that about 20 percent of hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds looking at an application, while roughly 40 percent dedicate less than a minute.

Job seekers need to make an impression, and fast.

This spring, CareerBuilder and Harris Interactive asked nearly 3,000 hiring managers nationwide to identify résumés and cover letters that stood out. Some were bizarre, others hit the right chord and resulted in a job. Here are some responses from the survey:

The bizarre: Hiring managers offered examples of résumés and cover letters that were unusual.

1. Easy there, Tiger. One hiring manger said a candidate referred to himself as a genius and suggested the hiring manager come to his apartment to interview him.

2. Meadow Soprano, is that you? In her cover letter, a candidate talked about her family being in the mob.

3. “Swamp People” is hiring. Someone applying for a job in management mentioned “gator hunting” as a skill.