An important part of your career management is to understand there’s a much better way to land the job you want than mailing or e-mailing unsolicited resumes.

That better way is called the targeted approach to finding a job quick.

Why is it so hard to find a job?

Because you’re sending out resumes that nobody asked you to send. So stop broadcasting your resume. It’s a waste of time. And you extend the amount of time it takes to find a job quick.

So how do you find a job?

Studies show only a single job is offered for approximately every 1,500 hundred resumes mailed or e-mailed. With reduced staffs caused by downsizings and layoffs, busy executives don’t have time to read your unsolicited resumes. Besides, a resume tells very little about your talents or whether you’ll fit in with the rest of the staff.

I’m not suggesting you stop posting resumes on internet job boards or sending them with cover letters in response to help wanted ads. You need to cover all bases. We’re talking about sending out resumes, willy nilly, to companies in hopes a job will be uncovered.

The six step targeted approach to looking for a job

1. Carefully select prospects for your resume mailings by targeting a number of companies you want to work for; places where you believe your skill set, or what you do, will fit in.

2. Gather information about each company and its executives. There’s so much information about corporations on the Web that can be obtained easily by visiting a company’s website, there’s no excuse for not doing your homework before every interview.

3. Find the name of the executive at each company who you think could hire you if there were a job.

4. Then customize cover letters to each person you’ve selected. Your mission is to explain the reason why you’ve targeted his company and to request a brief meeting to discuss your background and the company’s future needs in order to determine if you can be of help someday should a job become available.

5. Call each prospect for an appointment three days after you think your letter or e-mail was received.

6. Repeat steps 1 - 5 each week by selecting five or more targeted companies a week, customizing cover letters to go with your resumes.

This targeted approach is also called the “the indirect approach” because you’re not asking directly for a job but for a meeting to discuss your background and how you can make a contribution in the future.

This approach is one of the best ways to find a job quick. Why? Because in bypassing human resources, you’ll uncover a job before it’s posted.

This is how to beat the competition for the job you want. With the targeted approach, you’ll also shorten your job hunt by doing the six steps each week as you customize letters and follow up five or more targeted companies by phone to request appointments to discuss your background and an organization’s future needs.

When you can not find a job, or feel discouraged because recipients of your resume failed to contact you, try the targeted approach to land the job you want.

Randy Place, a career management consultant in private practice, and Internet host of Your Career Service — http://www.yourcareerservice.com Daily posts feature job-finding tips and career management advice. Topics include job interview tips, networking strategies, dealing with job loss, resume writing and personalized cover letters, getting ahead at work, how to handle standard interview questions and much more.

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