Once you have your resume completed, it won’t be able to help you get a job until it is in the hands of potential employers.  The only way to ensure that your resume is put to good use is to distribute it effectively and efficiently.  There are a variety of resume distribution methods that you can utilize, however some are markedly better than others.  In order to choose the best distribution methods for you, it is important to understand the advantages and drawbacks of each method.

Resume Distribution Methods

1.    All You – While the internet makes searching for jobs easier than ever before, manually distributing your resume in response to job postings remains a common option.  Newspapers carry far less job openings now that the internet has taken control.  The biggest benefit of researching job openings and manually distributing your resume is that your resume is only given to openings that interest you.  Additionally, you can personalize and tailor each resume to individual jobs.  The main drawback is that this process can quickly become very time consuming.

2.    Recruiters/Staffing Services – Using recruiters and staffing agencies have become extremely popular over the last decade.  One reason for this is that staffing services and recruiters often have specialized to fit certain industries.  Additionally, they will often hear of open positions much quicker than you could find them on your own.  It is important to keep in mind that in order to get good results, using multiple recruiters and staffing services is a must.

3.    Job Fairs – Job fairs, also known as career fairs, are scheduled gatherings that are designed for employers and potential employees to meet in one place.  They are often held in hotel ballrooms or convention centers.  The biggest benefit of attending job fairs is that they give you access to dozens of employers all at once.  Additionally, they are great for creating a face to face meeting.  The biggest drawback to job fairs is that in order to stand out, you really need to stand out.  Employers will see hundreds of potential employees and getting ahead of the pack can be difficult.

4.    Resume Posting – There are a variety of different online websites that allow people to post their resumes and then employers can browse them as needed.  Many of the most popular job boards include Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, and Craigslist.  Posting your resume is often offered as a free service, however keep in mind that they contain thousands or hundreds of thousands of resumes.  This means that an employer may have to dig a little in order to see your resume.  Keep in mind that this is a very passive tactic.  Once you post your resume, it is left up to the employer to contact you.

5.    Resume Distribution Services – There are more and more resume distribution services available on line.  These services blast out your resume to thousands of recruiters and employers simultaneously.  This approach is involves minimal time, however can get expensive over time.  Additionally, you have little choice in who will get your resume, which means that 80%+ of the people who receive your resume will not be a good match.

There are a variety of resume distribution methods available, in order to get the best results, using a compilation of methods is often the best.

Job seekers everywhere are trying to find new and innovative ways to improve their job search efforts. In an economy where unemployment is rising, companies are cutting back, fewer businesses than usual are starting up and downsizing is the norm, there are more people searching for work than there has been in quite a while. Families are tightening their belts and spending less, while trying to reduce debt they accumulated when the economy was good. More and more people who depend on commission are finding that their household income has dropped significantly. Many households that had a stay at home parent are now faced with that person needing to return to the workforce in order to make ends meet. For all these reasons and more, competition in the job market is fierce.

Resume distribution is one of those relatively new services that developed along with the rise in Internet use for finding jobs. Today’s job seekers use the Internet almost exclusively in their job search efforts. There are online job boards that are updated in real time with new jobs as they become available. Professional recruiting services all have web sites and do much of their work online. Individual company websites list job openings, as do online classifieds and many other sites. For the job seeker however, visiting all the possibly pertinent sites and posting your resume can be extremely time consuming.

That’s where resume distribution services come into play. In exchange for paying a small but reasonable fee, a resume distribution service will blast your resume to multiple sites at once. They will target hundreds and possibly even thousands of recruiting firms, corporations, hospitals, large businesses and other employers. This helps to save an incredible amount of time in your job search because you reach a huge number of possible employers at once. It is an especially useful option for anyone who is looking for any job that comes along and fast. The downside is that you have no say in where your resume is sent and it may or may not end up helping you get a job.

To overcome the problems associated with widely blasting a resume, targeted resume distribution services began. While basically the same as the regular resume distribution service, the targeted one gives you the option of selecting who will receive your resume. You can narrow down the recipients according to industry, salary level, position types and more. You even have the option of specifying the companies and recruiters you truly want to have your resume. While a much more effective way of finding a job you actually want, this service is more costly than the original resume distribution service.

If you are out of a job or simply looking for a new one, put technology to work for you. Select the type of resume distribution service that fits your needs and get started. In no time your job search will be wide open and you’ll be on the fast track to being amongst the newly employed.