Dear Joyce: You just wrote that despite a lot of activity, job boards are not producing a lot of hiring right now. What about e-mail campaigns? -- P.T.

Dear P.T.: Posting your résumé on job boards broadcasts your availability. Initiating an e-mail résumé campaign narrowcasts your interest in new employment -- you choose your targets.

Here's what Bob Bronstein has to say about the value of a targeted e-mail job search: "If you have good credentials and employers are hiring your bundle of skills, they're going to call you. If either of those factors are missing, they won't."

Uncommon Service
His observation comes from a dozen years' experience as president of ProFile Research, a specialized résumé distribution and lead development firm in Flourtown, Pa. Bronstein's firm manipulates databases to identify and contact the recruiters and employers that are most likely to be interested in a specific client based on the client's background and geographic and industry preferences.

Most of Bronstein's work is by referral from professional résumé writers who want their first-rate, persuasive marketing pieces to find bull's-eyes. Which is best -- postal or electronic mail?

E-mail, Snail Mail
If you launch your own e-mail campaign, take a tip from Bronstein: "For recruiters, send e-mail. They prefer the electronic medium because of ease in database entry and résumé forwarding to clients. But don't use old databases -- that's an exercise in futility."

Corporate America is a different story. "Send paper cover letters and résumés through postal mail to employers because there are no useful e-databases. You can find some e-mail addresses that will get your résumé to a specified decision-maker but, in essence, you have to e-mail to one address at a time."

I asked Bronstein for a recent illustration of a successful e-mail campaign in this sleepy job market and the cost. He responded with two examples: a father in top management and his son in sales. The father's search cost $2,000; his son's, $400.

The Father
Craig (not his real name) is a 50-ish senior telecommunications executive earning in the mid six figures. In his last position, Craig turned a "fallen.dot.com" into a positive cash-flow business. Once the flood of red ink was cauterized, the owners of the business decided to step back in and Craig was out.

After consulting with Craig, Bronstein focused on retained executive recruiters and venture capital firms specializing in the telecommunications industry. More than 1,600 e-mails were sent with Craig's cover letter and résumé.

Message Received
After five days, Craig had four major hits for topsider jobs through recruiting firms in various parts of the country. Delighted, Craig began to proactively work those four leads.

The Son
At the same time, Craig's son David (also not his real name) was looking for a better sales job in New York. Craig asked Bronstein to do a 400-piece e-mail campaign for David. Results were quick and David began his new and much superior job within six weeks of the campaign.

Back to Dad
Craig's job search continued for 12 weeks, during which the executive candidate reached final-interview status for all four positions. Two didn't pan out. The third company put him through 12 interviews in various parts of the nation before selecting the other short-listed candidate. The fourth and favorite opportunity remains viable.

Optimistic about the fourth position, but a prudent executive, Craig has directed Bronstein to gear up for another e-mail campaign and wait for his signal to launch. Craig realizes that snaring an upscale position takes time, perseverance, patience -- and finding the right leads.

Not for Everyone
An e-mail résumé campaign is no panacea for joblessness. E-mail résumé campaigns work best when you are contacting executive recruiters and when companies are hiring in your field.

Undertaking your own targeted mailing campaign is a lot of work, especially when you have to patch together a clean database. Hiring a professional to do it isn't cheap but can be a good investment when compared to the costs of unemployment.

Send career questions for possible use in this column to Joyce Lain Kennedy at Box 368, Cardiff, CA 92007, or e-mail her at jlk@sunfeatures.com. Sorry, the volume of mail makes personal replies impossible.

©2001 Tribune Media Services, Inc.