Guest Author: John Feldmann is a Sourcing Analyst for Insperity Recruiting Services, specializing in employment branding and advertising.
Website: http://twitter.com/john_feldmann

Every year, thousands of new college grads emerge from academia, filled with optimism, ready to enter the next stage of their lives. But the first step is often the hardest – finding a job, or better yet, a career. The task of finding a job is a full-time job in itself, and how are you supposed to know the dos and don’ts of job hunting if you’ve never actually done it? Alright, so you worked as a lifeguard last summer, and sold jeans at The Gap during high school. But now, you’re looking for a career – a job that will support you, pay off your student loans, act as the first step to reaching your professional goals, and ideally, draw upon the knowledge and education you acquired in school.

Several years ago, long before I began working for my present employer, I went through a period of unemployment. I spent every day searching the internet job boards for positions for which I might be a good fit, and sending personalized cover letters and resumes tailored to each position. But as months went by, I got little or no response, and as my frustration grew, my standards continued to lower with regard to required qualifications and salary.

At about this same time, a close friend of mine had just graduated and was also looking for a job. Within a few weeks of searching, he was able to obtain a number of interviews and eventually a job offer. I told him about how much trouble I had been having even getting a response from my applications and resume submissions. When I asked him how he had gotten a response so quickly, he responded by asking, “How many resumes are you sending out a day?” I responded by telling him I send out three or four a day, and only for jobs for which I know I’m qualified. His response was quite surprising. “Well, there’s your problem. I send out at least 80 resumes a day.”

Recruiters are all too familiar with this practice – it’s the “spray and pray” application technique. Even if blindfolded, if you throw enough darts at a dartboard, you’re bound to hit the bullseye eventually. Now that I have been employed in the recruiting industry for several years, I know what a turn-off this method of application is for employers. In fact, I have counseled many job seekers to not submit resumes through mass e-mails, but rather to be selective. However, I can’t deny the results that my friend got from his application method. I spent several more months sending out resumes before finding work, whereas he spent those months collecting paychecks at his new job. Ultimately, the job he found was not ideal for him, but it did lead to other opportunities and served as a stepping stone to another job for which he was better suited.

The moral of the story is this – when job hunting, especially if this is your first venture into the working world, you will receive plenty of advice on what to do, and what not to do. But there is no absolute right or wrong. It is easy for those of us who are currently employed to “armchair quarterback” your job search strategy, and those of us in the recruiting industry can tell you what hiring managers and recruiters prefer to see, and what will most likely get you disqualified. But the truth is, what works for one job seeker may not work for another, and vice versa.

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