Employers are wading through a weak economy, making every hire count. The candidate they select must not only be able to do the job, but also add additional value beyond the confines of the job description. Select the wrong candidate and you fall behind…and possibly put yourself on the chopping block as well.

Yet there exists a surplus of viable candidates, each with impressive experience and credentials, ready to step in at the first offering. How could you possibly go wrong choosing between so many qualified candidates? It's a double-edged sword for employers: the number of qualified candidates does provide a larger talent pool … but that does not guarantee that they will catch the right fish.

You're swimming in that talent pool now, trying to make yourself stand out. Here are some innovative ideas to do so:

1. Agree to work on contract: Often, employers feel forced to act against employees that are not doing even the bare minimum. Many companies use severance agreements to mitigate the ease of separating employees, but even these do require their own bit of legwork. Agreeing to work on contract frees the employer from a severance agreement, and also allows for a review of your performance to date. Before the contract ends, you should have been able to prove your worth to the organization. Eli Lilly and Company is one company that has started to hire representatives on contract. It enables them to adjust the size their sales force with much less logistics or financial strain.

2. Suggest working on a trial basis: This may seem too far out of the box, but imagine it through a different set of glasses: Would you buy a car before a test drive? Of course not. In certain situations, you may be able to show your prospective boss that you have the chops to start making an impact right away. Offer to do it for free for a short time - and if the hiring manager likes what they see, they can offer you the job. It also allows the employer if there is good chemistry between you, the manager, and the rest of the team. An added benefit is that this can give you additional leverage when negotiating your salary.

3. Demonstrate past success: One way of making your resume work for you is to bring supporting documentation. Make a copy of any files, awards, or other records that support the accomplishments highlighted in your resume. Give the employer the copy, and they will have something to remember you by long after the interview has ceased. It will let the interviewer review your documentation and qualifications at their leisure without the time constraints of the interview.

4. Offer to work your way up: If you are interviewing for a senior position, being open to lower levels of employment will allow an employer to review your performance at length, rather than on the series of a couple of interviews. Let them know that you would prefer the higher position, but you're willing to cut your teeth on a lower rung in order to prove your worth.

5. Put time on your side: If you're able, schedule your interview for the earliest time slot on the last day. According to Rob Jenkins, an associate professor of English and director of the Writers Institute at Georgia Perimeter College, many employers "conduct what I call 'cattle call' interviews, scheduling five, six, or more one-hour slots in a single day. Often [they] try to interview all the candidates on that one day or over a two-day period.

"That means that, by the end of the day — not to mention the second day — [they're] pretty bushed, and all the interviews start to run together. You stand a better chance of making a good impression if you get to [employers] while [they're] still relatively fresh."

If you follow one or more of these suggestions, you're sure to stand out. Remember, most of these tactics provide concessions to employers in the early phase of a job - ensure you negotiate your job security after you've met their demands of the position.

What are your favorite out-of-the-box strategies to stand out in this down economy?

Robert Petti is the Co-Founder and CEO of Resoomay, a cloud-based pre-screening tool that improves the job search process for recruiters and applicants. Connect with him and Resoomay on Facebook and Twitter.

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