Stop the Whack-A-Mole Strategy

I recently was reminded of the Whack-A-Mole game where you hold a hammer in your hand and as moles pop up through a hole, you whack them back down.

This image made me think of how many job seekers use basically the same approach in searching for a job:

• you wait there, with your hammer in hand, until an opportunity pops up, then you whack it down by applying for it.
• when another one pops up, you whack that one down too
• and another....
• and another.....
• and so on....
• and so on...

Sound familiar?  Rather than waiting for things to 'pop up', how about you try a new strategy? 

• Put the hammer down, actively seek (read: actively network)
• Find the most populated mole hill (read: group or company where the opportunities you're interested in are),
• Then dig your own hole (read: network your way into the group or company),
• And finally, get to know the moles before they pop out of their holes (read: find out how you can help the hiring managers/decision makers before they post an opportunity, so they just hire you)

So, please stop your Whack-A-Mole job search strategy.
Note: I am in no way equating hiring managers or decision makers or human resource professionals with moles.  It's simply an analogy. ;)

Brenda