I hear it all the time. Unemployed people tell me that because of the current economy they are willing to take any job just to get by. They write their resume to fit every job posting that comes along. They are willing to expand their job search to cast the widest net possible. They search the Internet for ”fast hiring jobs” and “free resume examples” to copy what others have done, believing that they will increase their luck by increasing the volume of resumes they send out.

Let me offer a bit of free career advice as to why this is a BAD IDEA!

If your resume looks like everyone else’s you increase your competition. If a hiring manager sees 15 (or 50 or 500) resumes that all look the same, then his/her hiring decision becomes a lottery. Make your resume stand out by emphasizing solid accomplishments from your past.

Narrow the target of your job search. It’s a bit counter-intuitive, and most people don’t want to rule out any job opportunity. But, narrowing your job search is actually a good thing. By narrowing your job search target you will be able to rely more on your network of friends, family and former colleagues to pass along specific opportunities. If your job search target is too broad, they won’t be able to help you.

Rely on your network to find job opportunities for you. At least 60% of all jobs are found through some form of network connection. Most jobs are never posted online (i.e. Monster.com, or CareerBuilder.com). In fact only about 5-7% of people ever get a job this way. By letting your network know exactly what kind of new job you are looking for, you will allow them to help you find it.

So the next time you are asked what kind of job you are looking for, don’t say, “any job will do.” Be specific about what kind of job you are looking for and let your network help you find your next career opportunity.

A recent Gallup Management Journal article encourages hiring managers and HR recruiters to begin “courting” qualified talent now for jobs that aren’t even available yet.  That’s because, even in a deep recession with so many people unemployed, recruiters have a tough time finding good candidates to fill important positions.

How can that be? Well, here’s my take on it. . .

I work with a ton of job seekers and see a lot of resumes. Most of them aren’t very good at presenting strengths that are most desirable to hiring managers.  Most resumes look like an obituary for someone who has led a very boring life.  Most job seekers present themselves in an unfavorable light, which makes FINDING good candidates a difficult task for recruiters and hiring managers. So one of the biggest problems in finding good candidates is with the candidates themselves.  Job seekers just aren’t showcasing their strengths to show up on the hiring manager’s radar.

A second problem is that hiring managers and recruiters receive more than 500 resumes for every position they publicize.  Who wants to search through a pile like that?  Of course, no one does, so hiring managers look first for recommendations from people they already know and trust.  Asking for recommendations makes their job easier and more manageable.

What if  you could be different?  What if you could develop a resume that was built around skills and abilities that recruiters and hiring managers are scrambling to find?  And then, what if you could get your resume recommended to hiring managers who are looking for people just like you to help solve their business problems?  If you could, don’t you think you would have a better shot at getting that perfect job?

If you utilize a system to help you clearly define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), you are in a much better position to be “found” by recruiters. In addition, effective networking will help you be one of the ones recommended for a position, rather than being one of the ones in the huge pile of applicants.

If you already have the tools to do these things, you should be spending 80 percent of your time networking and following your job search system.

If you don’t have a system yet, or don’t know how to go about networking, we’d love to help.  Just sign up for a FREE ACCOUNT with Careers 2.0 and get started. It’s fast.  It’s easy.  It works. We would like to help you become one of the ones being sought after by recruiters and hiring managers!  Get started today!