No Time to Waste: Turning Your Resume into Junk Mail Squanders Employers Time and Your Own

"I am interested in a position with your company. My resume is attached should something become available, at which time I ask you to contact me for an interview."

I have to say that this may be one of the most ridiculous e-mails I have ever received - which is pretty sad when you consider that this was an actual attempt by a prospective candidate to obtain a job. There were a lot of assumptions on her part - that I would delve into her attachment to discover her fabulousness, that I had nothing better to do than remember her resume should a position become available, and that I could figure out what type of position she was wanted simply by reading her resume.

The e-mail, frankly, made me feel like this candidate needed a babysitter, not a job.

Job seekers need to focus their employment searches to ensure that they are applying for positions they can actually get. That doesn't mean that you can't try to apply for jobs that would mean advancement in your industry or a new career in a new field. Unless you're getting unsolicited calls from people wanting to hire you, however, you need to be the instrument of such career switches.

In today's fast-paced work environment, you can't expect an employer to file your resume away for retrieval at a later date. Smart job seekers have posted their resumes online in such traditional job boards as Monster.com and Hotjobs.com, and really savvy professionals keep their professional information current via such sites as LinkedIn.com and VisualCV.com, which offer an opportunity for professional networking. Networking, not random junk e-mails, can spark an employer's memory when it comes to searching out candidates.

If you do really want to search for a job outside your current job description, you need to really work the system. Start a dialogue with people who are working in your desired field via blogs, message boards, and networking sites. Always keep your professional information current and available - whether it's on your homepage or an online resume service. Ask for advice from people who are doing the jobs you want to do, or who hire the people who are doing the jobs you want. It never hurts to have friends in high places.

While it's always easier to get a job that you've done before, you can apply for other kinds of positions. Remember, though, that especially if you have no experience, it's very, very unlikely that an employer will remember your resume or create a place for you on their team. Watch the job boards and the career page on the company's Web site for a position that you want (within reason - you aren't going to jump from receptionist to first vice president of public relations), and write an enthusiastic letter detailing the reasons you believe you'd be good at the job and how your previous history and special talents would benefit the company.

Before writing this letter, do as much research as you can on the company and its structure. Look at its advertising and marketing materials. If you don't know what you are asking for, it's unlikely that you are going to get it.

Lastly, always make certain that any correspondence you send to a potential employer is free of grammatical and spelling errors. You aren't going to get your big break if you can't prove that you sweat the small stuff.

Dave Saunders helps people stand out and "Be the Brand" as a personal branding and marketing specialist. Manage your career online: Create, Enhance and Share a better resume, free at VisualCV.com