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There is nothing intrinsically bad about sending resumes to 200 different
businesses. The question is how to go about it. Targeting the right person
with the right cover letter can make the difference between whether your
resume is read, filed, or forgotten.
The common wisdom is that the vast majority of jobs don't come from
advertisements, cold calls, or unsolicited resumes. The reality is that when
you are out of work you have time to try things with lower rates of return.
Networking is still the key. And while who you know is important, even more
important is who knows you.
Getting your resume out there in front of people that you don't have an
opportunity to meet in person is another way of helping others to know you.
It is not as good as having personal introductions to 200 hiring managers,
but it is a step in that direction.
Before you send out those resumes, as others have said, you've got to do
research. The better your research, the more targeted your cover letter and
resume and the more likely that you will be remembered.
Indirect research (online, business publications, etc.) can help with
businesses where you have no established connection. Better yet, create
those connections now while you have time.
Some ideas:
1. Be active in your own professional associations.
Know who the officers are, where they work, what those firms are doing these
days. That way, you are not clueless when you chat with them about how
things are going at XYZ Corp.
2. Visit other related professional and technical associations.
Check their calendars so that you arrive at their meetings during their
pre-program networking time. Check their web sites for information about
their officers and the companies they work for. What's happening in those
companies, their industries?
3. Teach a class.
Does your local church, library, or school system have an after hours
educational program? Teach an Internet class, a writing class, a project
management class. Let more people know how good you are at simplifying
technical information to make it accessible and useful.
4. Join a careers self-help group.
Is there a career management or career change class going on in your area?
(Again, check churches, schools, etc.) Join in! Other people who are
actively seeking information about available jobs might stumble across
something suited for you, not them.
These networking steps, and many more that others will offer, can help you
send out a warm (rather than cold) cover letter.
More importantly, these kinds of networking activities are going put to your
face and name in front of enough people so that somebody will come looking
for you and ask for your resume.
-Ed Gregory
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