Why your job search is not working

As I watched my March Madness bracket go up in smoke by the second round for the tenth year in a row, I gained that false sense of logic that if I had just submitted another bracket into the local pool, I would have gotten them all right. That is until I discovered there are nine quintillion bracket possibilities (yes, with a Q). No one has ever driven off with a new Pontiac with a perfect bracket.

Talking with job seekers this month and reading unemployment stories, I sense a similar irrationality. That is, job seekers are making the assumption that searching for a new job is simply a numbers game. Their logic maintains that if you submit your resume to enough jobs online, you will eventually get a call back for an interview. No call back this week? Shoot for 100 applications next week.

Do not treat your job search as a numbers game. The house always wins.

Here are the top five job search tips I have been sharing with job seekers at seminars this month:

1. Document your goals, experiences, and value first before you meet with any employer. If you do not have clarity around these items, the hiring manager will not have enough information to hire you. Do not wait for an interview to start preparing now.

2. Make it a full time project with a target completion date. Commit to a regular working schedule and have someone else hold you accountable to your progress every working day.

3. Research targeted organizations and the problems they are facing thoroughly. Be prepared to fill an employer need, not a job vacancy. Make it your goal to be recognized as a problem solver.

4. Establish relationships with professionals not with your computer. Use online social media (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook) as a means to make offline business connections every week.

5. Volunteer your services. Offer to produce something of value at the end of a two-week trial period (e.g. research report, marketing recommendations, financial analysis).