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Headshot of Julissa Machado.
Sales professional Julissa Machado landed a job within 30 days using personalized pitch decks.

Photo courtesy of Julissa Machado

  • Julissa Machado pivoted from recruiting to sales using creative job application tactics.
  • She used visual decks instead of cover letters, aligning with company branding guidelines.
  • This approach led to her hiring in a sales development role at a software company.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julissa Machado, a 27-year-old sales development representative, based in Tampa, Florida. It's been edited for length and clarity.

In 2024, when I decided to pivot my career from recruiting to sales, without any direct sales experience, I knew I'd have to get creative with my job applications to stand out.

Then I remembered a hack I learned while working in hiring. While working for a difficult manager who didn't want to read through résumés, I came up with the idea of pitching him quality clients by making visual decks showcasing career highlights — and he liked it.

So, I decided to swap out my own cover letters for a deck.

I personalized every slide using each company's colors, fonts, and logo, which I found on company websites under "branding guidelines." I figured that if a recruiter saw my headshot next to their company's logo and branding, it would psychologically signal that I aligned with them.

I got hired for a sales development role for a software company a month later. This is what I put on each slide.

Slide 1: Starts with my name.
Julissa Machado's name on a slide.

Julissa Machado

On the first slide, I put my name at the center, with the company I was applying to as the subhead.

Slide 2: Has a favorite quote.
A quote that reads

Julissa Machado

I followed the first slide with a slide dedicated to a quote I love.

Slide 3: Lists my qualifications.
Julissa Machado lists four qualifications: Sales excellence, business development, Client relationship management, and technology proficiency

Julissa Machado

On the third slide, I spoke directly about how I matched the role's responsibilities, requirements, and skills. For others, this might look like highlighting their experience using a certain technology or showcasing a certain skill using metrics.

Slide 4: Highlights some facts about myself.
Julissa Machado wrote about herself on the

Julissa Machado

Here, I highlighted the unique qualities that made me stand out in previous roles, such as being "client-focused" or an "eager learner."

Slide 5: Showcases my big wins from previous jobs.
Julissa listed four major accomplishments from 2020 to 2024.

Julissa Machado

This is where I highlighted my biggest achievements. I like to think about it as a space to write about any time you saved time or earned money for a company.

Slide 6: Shares how I align with the company's values.
A slide that has the company building on it with three areas where the job candidate and the company align.

Julissa Machado

This is where I spoke to my alignment with the company's core values, which I typically found on the company's career page or LinkedIn. I would also include a photo that was niche to the company, like its headquarters or a nice setup it had at a convention.

For this, I removed the background, wrapped the text around it, and made it look as integrated into the deck as possible. It's a bit extra, but I've gotten some great feedback on that last slide.

Slide 7: Ends with a "thank you."
A slide that says,

Julissa Machado

The final slide is a simple "thank you."

The only downside to making decks is that they will take more time to make than a traditional cover letter, but I still think it's worth it. The job market is competitive, so what someone else won't do is what others should capitalize on.

If you took a unique approach to your job search and would like to share your story, email the editor, Manseen Logan, at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

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I got a job within 30 days by sending personalized slide decks in place of cove…