The end of June 2011 brought a lot of hype in the blogging world about TheLadders’ new “Signature” Program. Have you heard of it? Signature promises that “selected participants who actively engage in all components of the Signature program are guaranteed a job offer or their money back.” The price tag?  $2,495. The claim of success? 90%.

[I’m taking the existence of this program, and the price tag, on faith since TheLadders’ website is seemingly impenetrable without a username and password – see www.theladders.com]

Criticism of the Signature program abounds. Forbes’ Susan Adams points out what might be the obvious in her article, The Ladders Guarantees a Job Offer or Your Money Back: TheLadders self-selects the people who may enroll in the program. They don’t guarantee a job to just anyone! And, as it turns out, 75% of the people accepted into the program are already employed and looking to move up the ladder or make a lateral move into a larger company. These folks are much better positioned to succeed in their job search than the unemployed. The 90% success rate doesn’t sound quite so impressive anymore, does it?

Furthermore, explains Ms. Adams, if you read the fine print you find out that participants are required to “apply to 6 well-fitted positions per month.” Hmmm…  who determines what constitutes a “well-fitted” position?  What if there are not 6 positions the candidate wants to apply to? It seems the $2,495 fee will then be forfeited. For additional criticism of this aspect of the program, see  A Six Figure Job Guaranteed or your Money Back in the bnet.com blog (authored by Kimberly Weisul).

And what if a participant applies to 6 jobs in order to comply with the program, even though they are not jobs she wants to accept because of location, company culture or some other factor? What if she gets an offer from one of them? She has then paid $2,495 to get a worthless job offer.

The Signature program reminds me of a “deal” offered by Match.com in my internet dating days. Match, as I remember, offered 6 additional free months if I did not meet someone I liked within 6 months. The catch? I had to contact 6 people each month for 6 months to remain eligible for the offer. Eek. There just weren’t that many guys who appealed to me enough to make the effort. I contacted an average of 2 guys a month for 6 months, didn’t make a love connection, and cancelled my service.

And cancelling services is what a lot of people might start doing around The Ladders. Snarky career blogger Nick Corcodilos refers to The Ladders as a “beleaguered organization” in his article, TheLadders: A lipstick pig’s death rattle? He suggests that if TheLadders CEO’s Marc Cenedella’s claims are correct, and he has 4.5 million subscribers at $35/month, then those 4.5 million are not getting the results promised by their subscription. Why else would TheLadders need to dangle a pricey “guaranteed” job offer carrot in front of these subscribers?

Another suspicious promise of Signature is their claim that the program will reduce the amount of time necessary to spend on a job search from 30 to 4 hours per week. Silly me! Here I was thinking that job searching was a full-time job. It takes time to make connections and work networks, and a Manpower study recently found that 41% of successful jobhunters got their jobs through networking. Does TheLadders claim that significant networking is now unnecessary in the job search process?! I am wary of any program that encourages job searchers to stop engaging in this essential and necessarily time-consuming aspect of their search.

What do you think of this grand offer by TheLadders? Would you front the dough if you were chosen as a qualified candidate? Or would you prefer to get a great resume and cover letters and find your job the old fashioned way?

Learn why you shouldn’t focus all your energy on a job-board job search… and how to best use job boards if you’re using them! Heat Up Your Job Search: Avoid Job Boards – from Job-Hunt.org

The exact numbers vary, but it’s generally agreed upon that the vast majority of people obtain their jobs through networking.  The statistics are particularly valid for high level corporate positions.  This article from The Wall Street Journal provides some insight into the process of “greasing the inside track.”  Greasing the Inside Track to a Job

Although we’ve made it clear this week that postings on job sites are not the be all and end all of an internet search, I thought it would be useful to provide some of the top 100 job search related sites. Many of these sites create networking opportunities. Perhaps you have been missing out on some connections if you don’t know about these! Top 100 Social Sites for Job Search – from NewGradLife

Staying with the theme of a social-media based job search, I’ve attached this article from InternsOver40 emphasizing (and this can’t be emphasized too much) that today’s job search is about making connections and getting to know people, NOT just about submitting your resume to job postings. Of course you do need a great resume once you find and connect with the people who want to see it! Getting a Job Using Social Media

If you are a job seeker, make the time — and take the time — to read and implement every one of these tips for finding a job using LinkedIn. How to Use LinkedIn to Get a Job

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the prospect of taking all these essential and valuable steps, contact The Essay Expert for help.

LinkedIn is not the only tool for job networking. Twitter has worked for a lot of people! Here’s an article with some great tips on how to use Twitter in your networking and job search. Tweet Yourself to a New Job

This article highlights 20 aspects of LinkedIn that are essential for job seekers. If you are a job seeker, read this article beginning to end, and use it in conjunction with my new e-Book, LinkedIn Power Tune-Up. The combination will set you up powerfully on LinkedIn to succeed in your job search. Job Seekers – 20 Ways to Brand Yourself on LinkedIn

Angela Astley shares the actual steps she took in networking for a job through LinkedIn. They work! New Grad Life: 9 Steps to LinkedIn Networking for a Job

Use these crystal clear tips from explainia.com to help you network your way to a job on LinkedIn. How to Find a Job Using LinkedIn