Connor Andrew Clark-Lindh

Now let's see a show of hands... How many people here got their last job from an online job portal? Or maybe an easier question, for all those people who have applied for jobs on a job portal, how many got a reply? Based on my observations, I would say almost none of you did.

Honesty, applying on JobsDB, Monster, Jobstreet or even Notchup is like throwing your CV into a big dark pit. And inside this pit, you are no longer an individual, you are reduced to key-words, tags and correlations. The best jobs are those which you are a perfect fit for - personality, culture and skills. Your CV / Resume alone will never really get that right.

Wait, I am looking for a Contract / Short-Term Job: if you are working contract or temp jobs, by all means, register for more job-boards for exposure. But I often wonder if willing putting yourself in competition with millions of other key-words really does benefit you. At the very least it inflates your chance of getting noticed by a few decimal points.

Forget short-term, I need a seemingly Long-Term Position: For those looking for long-term or senior-level permanent or contract positions, the market is runs on personal referrals and connections. This is where we (recruiters) can come in and help. However, we can only help so much. Any recruiter worth talking to is specialized, so they won't handle a massive volume of positions. It is good to know a few good recruiters in your industry, but don't bet your career on 'em.

Great! So what am I supposed to do? The best way to get a good job that fits you is to know people who know who you are. Tools like LinkedIn, Facebook and Plaxo give you ways to keep in-touch with your friends and family, explain your background and get exposure without begging for jobs. Then when you do need a job, you will know where to start.

Alright, I get it... But I still need a Job: Well no matter where you are in your career, you should have a general idea of what you are good at and what you are qualified to do.

Warning: what you are qualified to do and what you are good at directly equals what you should want as a career. If you aren't good at swimming and aren't a qualified diver, you shouldn't be planning to make it as a Diving Instructor any time soon. If you invest time in it as a hobby, develop a talent and qualifications, it may be a good career in the future.

With that in mind, list up all the companies (actual companies), which offer jobs that will match what you are qualified for and good at (20 to 50 companies should be enough to start). Research on those companies for a little while to make sure they are close enough. Then call around to your contacts, search LinkedIn and dig dig dig for all the info and connections you can find with those companies.

Either your connections should know someone, or you should be able to find some contacts on the net / your network. Worst case just call the companies directly, ask to speak to the person who would likely be your boss and make your case for a meeting. Now you have a purpose, direction and a list. The rest is just picking up the phone.

If that doesn't get you some solid connections, referrals or a true job, then I don't know what will. The market is ultra competitive, but it is only competitive if you play by the rules. Be a wild-card, make your own future.