If you have a resume posted, you will inevitably receive a lot of e-mail regarding jobs for which you have absolutely no interest. For most people this is very frustrating. You can’t help wondering why someone would send you information on jobs that are so different from the kinds of things you are pursuing. Why is this happening?

Like other markets, the job market has supply and demand dynamics that govern it. Employers compete to attract talented individuals and individuals compete for the better employment opportunities. The better an opportunity is, the more demand there is for it. As for the less desirable jobs, some employers have trouble getting any takers.

Consider the following:

• When a position is highly desirable, chances are, as word-of-mouth gets out that they are looking for someone, they will have talented people, very interested, jockeying for position to get the attention of the right people. The employer won’t have to go very far to find someone they like for the opportunity. As a result that job may never be published. Or, it may be published, but they already know who they want.
• In many, if not most cases, the natural reaction of a decision-maker who becomes aware they are going to need someone in a particular position is this, “Who do I know that would be good in this position?” or “Who do I trust and respect that might know someone that would be good in this position?” Most decision-makers are going to exhaust these possibilities before they think in terms of collecting resumes of applicants that they know nothing about. As such, simply applying for published jobs, or hoping someone sees your posted resume or LinkedIn profile, will likely leave you out of contention for most of the better opportunities.
• By contrast there are a lot of high turnover, less desirable jobs that some companies can’t keep filled. If you post a resume, you will doubtless receive inquiries from companies who would very much like to interview you about their less desirable “opportunity.” They know they are going to have to go through a lot of people to get someone to take the job, and hire a lot of people to get some that stick.

So, what can you do? Improving your resume may help a little when it comes to being considered for better jobs, but that won’t likely cut down on the garbage in your inbox. As long as your resume is posted, you will be solicited for less desirable jobs.

The reality is that competing for the best opportunities will come through developing a more targeted contact development process geared toward getting conversations with decision-makers and influencers. That will put you on the radar for the more desirable opportunities. It will be more work, but it will be worth it.