So where does the fault lie?  In the market?  Yup, to some extent.  It conditioned us to expect immediate search success.  We all need to get over this - it won't be back anytime soon.  Is there another place for blame?  As Cassius said, in Julius Caesar, "The fault ... is not in our stars, but in ourselves." We expect... no, make that demand, simplicity and speed.

Carpet Bombing is Not the Answer

The Internet has transformed job searching, and with it, our expectations.  No more waiting for the Sunday classifieds.  Just logon and the world is right in front of you.  Join as many search sites as you want.  Paste your resume right into the website form.  Click, click, finished. 

Not really.  All you've done is to apply technology to the drudge work of job search ... the physical process of application - getting your resume professionally printed, typing letters, actually going to the post office.  Excellent.  That's what technology is for.

Technology is not for getting around the need to target your job search.  You can't substitute the administrative part of the process for the entire job search process itself.  When you blanket the job market with applications, you're confusing activity with achievement.

I suppose you could make the argument that the more employers that see your resume, the more likely it is that at least one of them will respond.  In my experience, this carpet-bombing approach is about as effective as the mythical room full of monkeys eventually typing out Shakespeare.

Nothing, repeat nothing, is as effective as targeting your job search.

Aim for the Bullseye, Not Just the Target

A target is made up of a set of concentric rings around a center.  You get the most points for hitting that tiny spot because it's so small and requires the most skill to achieve. Or the most luck.

Same is true for job search.  You can use search criteria and automated agents to sketch out your overall target.  Then, you can fire a barrage of random shots toward that target and hope you hit something.  Or you can practice and aim carefully to get as close to that bullseye as you can. 

Aim involves the proper alignment of you and your job target.  I've written previously about both before - see Job Seeker, Know Thyself and MyValueProposition. It's critical to be brutally honest with yourself about what your true capabilities are and what kind of job is realistic for you. 

As I've said before, there's a world of difference between a dream and a delusion.  There's no way you can convince anybody that a five-day "Intro to Java" course makes you a Senior Web Developer.  At least not without a few years of hands-on experience and a killer portfolio. You need to sit down and list your skills and abilities.  Then, rank them.  And don't be overly generous, since ultimately, no one else will be. 

Now you're ready to review that set of target job postings.  Do everybody a favor and read them carefully - several times.  Don't skim them.  A recruiter told me that more than 75% of the responses he gets to his ads come from unqualified applicants.  He attributes this to a lack of reading comprehension, because there's no way he could imagine that so many people would apply without the appropriate credentials.  I think he's being charitable, but let's all do our part and peruse these postings, okay?

Compare your list of skills and abilities against those required/desired in each potential possibility. Is there at least 75 - 80% overlap? Do you have every one of the "must haves"?  If not, you have no real shot at this job without some personal connection, so cross it off your list.

I'm not being harsh.  The fact that you think you could do the job, despite your lack of qualifications, doesn't mean diddly.  There's someone or some software doing the screening according to these criteria.  If you have them, you get a closer look.  If not, you're in the "No" pile.

So ... wouldn't it be more effective to spend more of your time targeting your approach to the specific wants of each qualified opportunity?

Technology is a Two-Edged Sword

There are many more qualified applicants available to employers because of the Internet.  That makes it harder to rise to the top of the pool, even while technology makes it easier than ever to jump in.  The key is to use technology to improve your targeting.

How do you do that? Two ways - by using the Internet to research companies and jobs and by customizing your approach (resume, cover letter, etc.) for each opportunity.

JobCircle and other Internet search sites really simplify the process of researching companies.  Profiles of each business are included, with links to company websites.  All you have to do is follow those links and then read about each company. 

And don't just jump right to the "Careers" page, either.  Take a look at the home page, "About (Name of Company), and recent press releases. Check out any financial data posted on the site. Gauge the size, health and prospects of any firm before you launch yourself in their direction.  Does the firm seem to be profitable?  Growing?  Is this a place where you think you'd prosper professionally? 

What does the company do?  Are there any parallels to your previous experience?  If there are, be sure to draw attention there ... by modifying your resume to highlight that information.  Most search sites only allow you to post a single version of your resume.  This essentially puts you in the same position as having a printed hard copy.  Unless you take advantage of technology again to manage your online presentation. 

Managing the Online Resume

When you join a search site, you create a resume either by pasting in one you've previously designed, or by filling in a form.  That's a great starting point.  But you'll need to customize that resume to improve your chances for success.  That means rewriting your objective, adding terms used in the posting, and/or changing the emphasis of job experiences to highlight desired skills or abilities.

Each time you alter the base resume, make sure to keep a copy of it for your own records.  You'll need to keep track of what information you sent with each application.  I think it's helpful to create a data file with both the actual posting and version of the resume (and cover letter, if any) you sent.  That way, you'll be able to remember what you said about yourself and not accidentally screw up by confusing one opportunity with another.

I've got five or six versions of my resume, each emphasizing different aspects of my capabilities.  One as a project manager, one as a management consultant, another as an eBusiness strategist, etc, etc.  Some are chronological, some functional.  I pull them out and revise them as necessary.  Is it a pain?  Sure, but much less than if I had to do it on paper.

More

Last month, I wrote about recruitment firms and explained how, once you've been presented by a recruiter, you're considered to be "their property."  Recently, a reader told me about a friend who was presented to a company by an outside recruiter, but who also responded on his own to a blind ad for that position.  He was caught in the dispute between the company and the recruiter and ended up out of the running, through no fault of his own.  Has this happened to any of you?  What did you do about this?  Let me know at jamie@jobcircle.com.  I'll be consulting with a labor attorney on this topic & will report back.  Next month, Negotiating the Exit Package.

Enjoy this article?  Read more of JobCircle.com's Career Coach articles.

Jamie Fabian spent more than 15 years as a human resources executive before changing careers to become a senior project manager for a growing IT consulting company.  Now in management consulting for a large Pharma company, Jamie would like to be seen as a hybrid of Tom Peters, Tom Jackson, and Tom Wolfe, but spends too much time working, driving carpool and watching mindless TV to write more than this column.  You can contact Jamie with questions and comments at jamie@jobcircle.com.