Step back and take a look at the world you inhabit as a candidate in the job search space. Without a doubt, technology has placed a premium on volume. Online profiles allow you to position yourself in just the right way. 
Resources abound providing you with quick takes (even automation of the creation process) on the best way to position your experience on your CV. Get your resume ready today, and tomorrow you can apply for literally thousands of jobs. All you have to do is apply a lot, work the funnel via the sales process, and you'll land the right job for you, right?
No, no, no…. That question was rhetorical. Items like Cover Letters, Resumes and obsessive/compulsive usage of job boards like Monster are simply the entry tickets to the dance, and only represent the top of the funnel you are facing to land the best position available for you. Once you submit your resume, companies that care about the quality of hire are doing their best to "vet" you completely before they ever pick up the phone to call or conduct a formal interview.
DNA Sample Please - You may want to turn away from the glare and the "Men in Black Suits", CIA feel as companies like mine try to learn all they can about you before they have to talk to you…. Listed below are the early components of the selection funnel you may face as a part of the selection process at any company:
1. Automated screening by Recruiting System designed to search for keywords in your resume.
2. Database Mining of Recruiting System to determine if you have applied or interviewed with the company before.
3. Resume and Cover Letter review by dedicated recruiters and HR professionals.
4. Resume and Cover Letter review by hiring managers.
5. Initial Background Checks
6. Proactive Search of the Web and Social Networking Sites designed to find out more about you professional life or uncover undesirable information (examples - Google Advanced Tools, LinkedIn, Jobster, Facebook, MySpace, etc….).
7. Informal Pop-In's to People who have worked at the same companies you have in the past.
8. Online, Self-Paced or Proctored Screening Assessments focusing on evaluating KSAs (knowledge, skill and abilities) or behavioral profiles.
All of this before you talk to a human in the process. We'll probe these in groups to give you the low down on how to best position yourself with each one of these….
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