You may be investing countless hours scouring electronic job boards, company websites and recruiter sites looking for available positions. You may have submitted your materials literally hundreds of times. And why not? It’s a numbers game, right? Press “click” often enough and eventually something’s going to fall into place.

 

Generally, though, that’s not what happens.

 

Hundreds of resumes go out and all that comes back in return is…silence.

 

If this is the method you’ve been trying, you’re probably ready for another tactic.

Fortunately, there’s a way to get results…if you’re willing to shift gears and try something different.

 

Instead of treating your resume like ticker tape and blanketing the city with it, it’s time to cut way back on your output.

 

Be choosey about who gets it.

 

This doesn’t mean you’ll spend any less time on your search. But you’ll be more efficient and get better results. Isn’t that what this is all about?

Targeted marketing. Advertisers do it – you should, too.

 

Instead of simply chasing what’s posted, flip it around. Analyze the market.Think about where you’d like to work. Get creative. Consider where your skill set, experience and interests might fit nicely.

 

From your research, you should be able to develop a short list of companies.

 

But what if these companies don’t have any openings? They might not…but don’t be overly concerned about that. Many jobs never get posted. (Many of the jobs that are posted are junk postings.) And maybe this company isn’t hiring right now…but they will be in a month or two.

 

That’s why you need to score an interview. Even an informational interview.

 

So now that you have your list, get into that 6 degrees of separation frame of mind. You know – the idea that each of us is connected by just a handful of other people? Whether or not it’s actually true, the concept is sound. Borrow it.

Find out who you need to know on the inside of your target companies. Then figure out how to make that connection. Do you know anybody who works there already? Great! Can that person get you an introduction to the person you want to talk with? If you don’t know anyone there, maybe someone in your circle of associates does…or knows someone who knows someone. Start working your contacts to make your way to the target. Along the way, you may pick up important information about jobs that may be opening up.

 

 With a little work, you’ll have the contact names you need. You may even get an introduction to one of those names. Then you can send your resume to a person…not the same vast, anonymous wasteland you’ve been blanketing with your paperwork for who knows how long.

 

And when a person receives a resume along with some sort of referral – meaning you can drop a name of a mutual contact, or somebody greases the wheels by sending an introductory email, or someone actually recommends you – that person is exponentially more likely to read it.

 

And you are more likely to get that response you've been hoping for.

 

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