I recently had a discussion with a person who had been through outplacement with one of the more well-known firms. As a result of what they taught this person, it was concluded by them that networking was the only “real” way to find a “really good” job. This individual was a true believer in networking, to the exclusion of any other means.

(Now most people tend to believe that this is true, that networking is a key to the hidden job market. But they don’t, as I’ve pointed out all too often, really network, inventing all kinds of reasons why it isn’t possible to do so.My observation is that, although it’s talked about all too often, most people rarely use it as a job-finding technique; and, furthermore, when it is used as a job-finding technique, it’s mostly done wrong.)

At any rate, in my conversation with this individual, I mentioned trying the Broadcast Letter, which is a “targeted” approach. We discussed the difference between this and a “shotgun” approach used by those services which will send hundreds, even thousands, of letters to a given industry, or to recruiters, for you --without really “targeting” the recipients. This individual was of the opinion that this doesn’t work, although I was told that the one person who had tried this got four responses (none of which turned into a job).

I know it can work, because I got one of my jobs, when I was laid off, specifically through a Broadcast Letter.

All of which is a preface to my topic of the month, which is the subject of targeting your next job, as opposed to what most people do – which is to respond to whatever the world happens to throw out there, whatever is most convenient, whatever bubbles up through recruiters or the on-line listings or even the want ads.

Targeting your next job is NOT being reactive; it’s being PRO-active.

It’s going directly for what you want in a highly selective manner.

So how does one target their job search? What are the steps involved and what does one have to do?

The steps below are simple, but I won’t pretend that they’re easy. (What in life that’s worthwhile is easy these days?)

#1 – Look deep into your psyche and determine what kind of job you’re looking for. Are you looking for something that really, really fits your experience, or are you looking for something that you’d like to do but don’t currently have full qualifications for? In a targeted search, you pretty much have to go after a job that your experience very much suits you for. It should be obvious to everybody that this is so. If not, go the networking route until you’re absolutely sure about what you want and are qualified for in the eyes of the world, and then target it.

#2 – Research the firms and organizations that you have targeted which have the type of jobs you’re looking for. If it’s a medical-related non-profit; if it’s a mechanical engineering firm; if it’s a software development company; whatever it is, look up and locate all the firms in the geographic area you’ve chosen. In other words, identify them. They are, after all, the kind of organizations that could possibly have a need for your skills and experience. But research them thoroughly so you know their characteristics, who the hiring manager (not HR) is and his/her title, what the pay scales are, what their environment is like, etc., etc., etc. Notice that I say “firms,” plural, here because while it is possible to draw a bead on one company, it goes without saying that you limit yourself, along with your chances, by only going after one company.

#3 – Turn yourself into a marketable item for your target. Buff up your resume and turn it into a “killer” resume. Prepare yourself for an interview with such an employer. Assemble all of those experiences that made you desirable to your former employer, and tweak them for this particular market, so you feel very prepared and very positive about what you can offer them.

#4 – Go after the aforesaid companies or organizations in every way possible. This could mean a Broadcast Letter. It could mean wearing a sandwich board and parading across the street with a message that urges them to hire you (I’m being sarcastic here to make a point.) It might mean networking into the major companies in the business you want to get into, and picking the brains of the people you network with. Like any good marketing executive, you pick your target audience and go after it with a vengeance, using as many different types of media as possible. No marketing manager worth her or his salt would only use direct mail, or telemarketing, or the internet; it’s proven that a variety of media used in a campaign raises the response level.

The unpleasant truth is that, like networking, not that many people really target a group of companies and then go after them to find a job.

Most job searches aren’t, unfortunately, pro-active. Most people would rather sit back and let the job come to them, hoping that a recruiter or a listing will pop out of the clear blue to parade a job in front of them. Like networking – there are a million reasons not to.

But in this New Economy, I believe, you’re going to have to learn new things and take new actions like being pro-active if you’re going to be one of the survivors.