The Big Mistake
What is this big mistake? It is over-exposure. When a candidate starts applying all over town or posts their resume on every job board in hopes of being found, they dilute their ability to make themselves a scarce and valuable commodity.
Economics 101
Economics does play a part in the behavior of hiring managers and recruiters. Supply and demand still applies to job seekers. For instance, why would a company want to hire someone who is all over the place? This gives the impression that the person is desperate and just wants to work. An employer wants someone who wants to work for them.
Similarly, a recruiter does not have anything unique to market if your resume is all over town. You are now just another job seeker that anyone can find. Recruiters get paid to find people who are hard to find.
Marketing Yourself – The Right Way
Instead of pasting your resume all over town, do some research. Have some focus in your search. If you know how to use the internet, do a little surfing, there are a number on resources to research companies. If you don’t know how to search, go to the library. Most public libraries have a number of resources to help search out companies.
Network
Once you know about the company and put them on your target list, do 2 things, tap into your network to see if someone knows anyone at that company. Any name will do. If so reach out to that person and ask if the company is hiring. If not ask who would be the person to contact if they were to start hiring so you can send a resume and cover note.
If you don’t know anyone, call them. Ask who would do the hiring. Write a cover note and send a resume. Make the cover note personal to the company. Let them know you have done research by pointing out what you found specifically attractive about their company and why you would be an asset to that company.
Follow Up
Realistically, you may not hear back from the client even if you know someone on the inside. Hiring is timing timing timing. Your best chance is to be focused and do a periodic follow up. By follow up, it means sending a hand written note, reminding them that you sent a cover letter/resume a couple of months ago and you just doing some follow-up to see if anything had changed or you might be expecting change.
Focus and Follow Up.
So make sure you don’t over expose yourself and have a professional follow up process. You will have greater opportunity to find a position that will be good for you.