After meeting hundreds of job seekers over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed one common thread for many when it comes to their job search – they don’t put forth the effort that they should.  Approximately 80% of their efforts are comprised of searching job boards then applying for jobs they find.  Newsflash!  This should comprise no more than about 20% of their efforts. 

One of the saddest cases I’ve seen was a gentleman who was laid off from his Vice President-level job and still hadn’t found a job 18 months later.  Over 90% of his job search efforts had been canvassing job boards and applying for jobs that were below his capability – sad!

While there’s nothing wrong with searching job boards to apply for positions, you must get out of your comfort zone if you really want to see results.  Networking with others is critical, but also incorporate social media into your efforts (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter).  Try creating an on-line resume and adding the link to any of your public profiles for others to see.  Get really creative and create a video resume and post it to YouTube.  Start a blog to showcase your knowledge and expertise.  This will allow you to demonstrate what you know to others which could lead to job opportunities. 

The bottom line is this – if you want to get something different, do something different. 

Until next time….