Reportson the uncertainty of the current economy are dominating the headlines,and it's easy to allow those stories to weigh on you, especially if youare in the middle of drawn-out a job search. Instead of feelinghelpless, remember that in any economy, companies need good people. Andby fine-tuning your job-search strategy, you may be able to land aposition that seems out of reach.
Consider these job-search traps and ways to avoid them:

You put all your eggs in one basket.
Ifyou're like most job seekers, you probably heavily rely on the Internetto help you in your job search. While the Web can come in handy – as away to research potential employers, determine which companies arehiring and locate positions specific to your area, for example – itshould be just one of the many tools you employ. Also consider scanningtrade and business publications, networking with professional contactsand registering with a staffing firm to broaden your search.

You don't make finding a job a full-time job.
Sendingout a handful of résumés a week is a lot like tossing a single bottleinto the ocean and hoping someone responds to the message you leftinside. To find a job, you must cast a wide net. It's a numbers game,and the more inquiries you make, résumés you submit and employmentinterviews you go on, the better your chances of success. Of course,these activities all require a significant input of time and effort, soset aside at least a few hours each day to focus solely on your jobsearch.

You're less than perfect.
Believeit or not, even one typo or grammatical goof in any of your applicationmaterials could be keeping you from finding a new position. With dozensor even hundreds of candidates to evaluate, a hiring manager won'tthink twice about passing on the applicant who has five years of "wordprofessing" experience. In fact, according to a survey by our company,47 percent of executives polled said a single typo on a résumé couldeliminate a candidate from consideration for a job opening.

Askanother person to review your application materials before you submitthem. Taking 10 extra minutes to make sure everything is error-free cansave you from spinning your wheels by sending out a flawed résumé.

You don't follow up.
Oneeasy way to stand out from the crowd of applicants: Follow up with thehiring manager after submitting your résumé. According to a survey byour company, 86 percent of executives said job seekers should contact ahiring manager within two weeks of sending a résumé and cover letter.Yet few candidates do. Often a brief phone call or e-mail reassertingyour interest in the position and strong qualifications is enough tocause a potential employer to revisit your résumé.

You fix too many 'problems.'
Theaverage job seeker who has been on the hunt for a while usuallyresponds to periods of little success by taking a cold, hard look athis or her résumé, cover letter, sources of leads and interviewtechniques. That's the wrong approach. Evaluating all aspects of yourjob search and revamping each one is like taking 10 medications for aminor head cold: It's a lot of extra effort and could cause more harmthan good.

A better approach is to diagnose your specificjob-search ill and focus on strengthening just that one part. Sayyou've gone on several interviews, but you still haven't received anyoffers. The problem likely exists solely with your interview skills –after all, your résumé and cover letter are drawing heavy interest fromemployers. Making significant changes to your application materialscould cause other companies to overlook you. Instead, reviewingquestions you've been asked by hiring managers thus far and practicingyour responses with a friend could be all you need to land the next job.

You don't network.
Thesimple truth is that networking is the most effective way to find a newjob. A referral from someone you know is likely to land you aninterview with a prospective employer or, at the very least, move yourrésumé to the top of the consideration pile. Even if your contacts areunaware of any immediate openings, they may be able to introduce you toothers who do have job leads.
The best part about networking: It'seasier to do than you think. Talk to friends, family members, formerco-workers and supervisors, professionals you meet at industry events –even your doctor and dentist – about your job search. And, as moreprofessionals are finding out, online networking sites like LinkedInand Facebook can open up even more potential avenues for referrals.

You haven't registered with a staffing firm.
Registeringwith a staffing firm can dramatically increase the size of yournetwork. The professionals who work for these companies have contactsthroughout their industries and often know of job openings that are notbeing actively promoted. In addition, the staffing professional youpartner with can handle much of the job-hunting legwork for you bydistributing your resume, setting up employment interviews and keepingan eye out for promising opportunities.

Even duringperiods of economic uncertainty, there are jobs to be had, especiallyfor candidates who have the right skills and qualifications. After all,companies are always looking for talented employees. By avoiding theabove job-hunting traps, you'll be better able to demonstrate yourvalue to potential employers and strengthen your chances of finding thejob you want.