Desperate times call for desperate measures? Has a candidate ever scheduled a job interview with you for himself, just like that? Job recruiters in the US are complaining that a growing number of candidates have not been following protocol by just showing up at the office uninvited, though they already have a scheduled phone interview, or, as in one case, scheduling an hourlong interview by sending a meeting request invitation via Microsoft Outlook.

These aggressive tactics on the part of job candidates have not been translating into success. They are hurting their chances more than anything else. Some do it to impress hiring managers, but what they get instead is an interview in the lobby, with a note being made of the incident. Or a message that the staffer is unavailable. Or that the position has already been filled.

One of the offending candidates, when asked why she showed up unannounced at a firm in San Diego, said she did it with the hope that it would help create a connection, while at the same time acknowledging that recruiters may be turned off by this kind of behavior.

One recruiter at Women for Hire, a company that arranges job fairs for women, said that she once had a call from a mother of a candidate calling on her child's behalf. She does not believe that the candidate knew about this call.

Desperate times may call for desperate measures, but patience is important even in desperate times. The recruiters interviewed suggested the following:

Be assertive when following up after an interview, but don't be aggressive. Repeat phone calls are burdensome, and with caller ID recruiters can know who is calling and they may not answer the call.

Recruiters are always swamped with applications. If a candidate is offered a phone interview in place of an in-person interview, they should accept it graciously.

At the end of the day, the best ways to stand out is with good old-fashioned networking, crafting a well-written resume, and being prepared during your interviews.

What bold stunt has a candidate recently pulled on you? Do share with us!