Landing a job through a posting…ask most people what’s the first thing they do when they start a job search, and they will tell you that they searched job postings, online or in the newspapers.

Trolling through job postings is an essential part of a well-rounded job search. However, it is also at the bottom of the list of effectiveness. Most people do not get their jobs through postings.

Benefits to postings, other than finding a job:

1.Gives you an idea of who is currently hiring for what
2.Identifies companies that you have never heard of
3.Highlights what skills, knowledge and experiences are currently in demand in your field
4.Gives you ideas about job avenues other than your current path.

What doesn’t work:

I’m sorry folks, but what are you thinking, when you apply to thousands of postings, most totally unrelated to what is you can offer?

Stating the obvious:

The closer you match the requirements of the posting, the better chance you have. Period.

Recommendations:

1. Identify all the places, online and offline, that could post a job for which you would make a good candidate. (Do not forget the career sections of the companies you would like to work for).

2. Create a pipeline so that as much as possible, you are notified when something gets posted that is relevant to you. Most of the job boards, like Monster.com, offer some sort of agent that will email you the jobs you are interested in.

3. For offline, figure out what days the job listings get published, and schedule a small amount of time to peruse.

4. Monitor your pipeline on a regular basis, and spend the rest of your time on other search strategies.

Cover this channel diligently, but DO NOT assume that your next job is going to come from a posting.