( July 15, 2007 ) - The ease with which companies can post their openings to job boards and the speed with which candidates can respond is sometimes more of a bane than a blessing when technology is used mindlessly, according to MRINetwork™, the world’s largest search and recruitment organization. The technology that drives many of the job boards now allows job seekers to automatically send off their resumes to posts, and often there is little correlation between the job’s requirements and the candidate’s qualifications.

Michael Jalbert, president of MRINetwork, cites the recent experience of one company that is typical of the frustration employers are complaining about. “The job posting listed very specific qualifications that included terms like ‘business-to-business, financial services and high-tech,’” he said. “But a high number of the responses came from candidates who clearly sent their resumes to dozens of companies, regardless of their suitability for the job.”

A certain response that illustrates the problem came from a candidate who referred to herself as a “beautyholic and luxury lifestyle expert,” who said she was “salivating” to work for the company. “This firm works with clients in the financial, business services and technology arena,” said Jalbert, “and the candidate had absolutely no relevant experience. We believe that many candidates respond blindly to postings simply because it requires so little effort.”

Many applicants claim in their cover emails that they have “extensively researched” the company, observes Jalbert. “One such person turned out to be a sales rep for a major manufacturer of athletic shoes,” he said. “If he had truly done his homework, he would never have sent his resume to this company.”

Jalbert notes that applying for jobs in the pre-job-board era was a lot more work – writing cover letters, addressing envelopes, and mailing hard copies of resumes. “The shotgun approach seems to have taken over the job search today,” he said. “Many candidates shoot off their resumes to a wide range of postings in the hope that one of them will hit the target.”

The problem with this approach, he says, is that employers resent the waste of their time and increasingly delete responses within seconds of receiving them if they see anything out of sync with their posting.

So what’s the best course for job applicants who want to maximize their opportunities? “There’s nothing wrong with responding to multiple postings,” says Jalbert, “as long as the candidate can demonstrate some suitability for the position. He advises:

1) Read each job description carefully and understand the requirements

2) Resist the temptation to respond to ones that you know don’t match up with your qualifications

3) Don’t use the same generic cover message for every job -- look for clues and key words in the postings, and then edit your message and your resume to highlight the areas that best demonstrate your suitability

The real message, said Jalbert, is to make technology work as an efficient tool in your job search. “Apply the same kind of discretion and problem-solving skills that you would demonstrate on the job – if you get it.”

Source:MRINetwork™ (www.mrinetwork.com)