In the past two years I think I have seen more promises by more people and more companies to improve your job search, improve third-party recruiter efforts and help you find the perfect job than ever in the history of jobs going back to Job. Is it getting ridiculous? It’s been getting ridiculous.

Here is a conversation I recently had with one of my looking for a $100K job jobseekers:

John, I put my resume on Monster, Career Builder and The Ladders. I have found some good opportunities to post to and have. But I get more calls and more inquiries about more deals and ways for me to spend money than I do actual interviews with clients. What’s the deal?

This is what’s going on right now. We have a plan and just one part of the plan is having an excellent, multi-resume posting out there for you because you are not doing a confidential search. I know about all ‘the deals’ out there. If they sound to good to be true…

They probably are.

You got it.

My clients treat search like a new dimension and extension of their brand. We work on their communication strategy like they are a multi-million dollar company. Every email communication, resume adjustment, interview or seemingly benign networking situation is or should be talked about, weighed. It is. We work on many forms, application questions, in-depth research, preparation, and more nitty-gritty to the granular detail. It’s hard, detailed and focused work and it can take weeks or months. 

Part of a smart search for my clients focuses on not biting on some promise or latest small investment ($100 or below) or larger investment ($1000 or above) that gets pitched to you because you are out there looking for a job. It’s about maximizing the use of the tools you have at your disposal. It’s also about using a Clear Plan for Search and not just jumping on the supposed latest, greatest like the one below. 

It’s about resisting promises like a client of mine received last week. The only promise made in the proposal by the guy who found my client on Linked In and Monster (yes, he got pitched on both) was to Make Calls to Hiring Managers for a period of 90 days. That’s it for $3500 plus a $2000 “Success Fee” charged after client is hired.

One of those tools is on Linked In. So let’s talk about Linked In’s latest push for job seekers. I like Linked In. I like this Job Seeker Premium tool. But just like any other tool or promise it must be catered, customized, utilized consistently, and maximized. In fact, many job seekers should maximize the many choices and tools found through Business Research, Google, Yahoo! and other sources not just Linked In.

We have built profiles, taught the nuances of Linked In, stayed abreast of the changes and helped out clients with this tool since the beginning. But even with these new tools I am not sure my executive clients need a “Jobseeker Badge” because one of the ways we suggest building your brand and selling yourself is to look like an employable person not a jobseeker in many cases. Clients also need to ensure that just because communication is easier that does not mean the right message is getting through to the audience.

Linked In says:

Did you know? Premium subscribers are 2x as likely to be contacted

But use all of these new deals like this one with great care and as a part of a clear, consistent and overall PR plan for you.