Career marketing is no different from product marketing! Just as Seth Godin says, “It might be easier to build a new sweet spot than it is to persuade an established middleman to change his rules for you.”

Too many job seekers persist in trying to convince recruiters that they are “perfect” for a job, when said recruiters clearly don’t agree. The rules are the rules… the job specs are the job specs. You have very little chance of being chosen for Oprah, the New York Times Book Review, the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company… or that particular opportunity… if you don’t fit the mold.

Why not, instead, determine your career “sweet spot” and go after it directly? Be prepared with persuasive evidence of how, specifically, you can help your target audience. How your experiences and expertise align with their goals. How you fit the culture, the challenge, and the opportunities on the horizon. Thrive in the mold that fits you!

In today’s fast-paced Internet culture, it’s easy to feel out of the loop if you’re not on LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace, and any and every other online social networking site. True – you need to stay abreast of technology and understand how to communicate using a variety of media. But never forget that most real networking is not done online. Your chief network starts with people you know (real people, not avatars) and extends to people you get to know through your network contacts.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and start your networking activity by connecting with people you know – then move on from there, to the sites that seem appropriate. And to make the most of what’s out there, check out this very helpful post over on CareerHub about how to utilize LinkedIn for your job search.