Job seekers can be very passive: posting resumes on job boards instead of searching for them frequently; allowing inept recruiters to contact you rather than finding recruiters to make things happen; Being overly optimistic about a job prospect, saying, “You might as well check it out, why not?” and then saying “I already knew. Why did I bother?”; wondering why you spend so much time with so little results.

Almost all candidates could be twice as proactive as they currently are. Instead of waiting for vacancies to find you, you should be looking for vacancies.

Finding the perfect job is a matter of options: the option to apply, or not, the option to accept an interview, or not, the option to come back for a second when invited to do so, or not. It’s not so much about accepting an offer or not, because by the time you get to that stage, if you’ve been doing your homework, you need to know if you want to get that far in the game. If you don’t, you should have cut earlier.

Finding your perfect job isn’t about putting more eggs in your basket as your search progresses, it’s about getting them out of your basket.

This is why I speak so often about the importance of knowing who you are and what you want. You must know what motivates you, in which factors you are firm and in which you will commit. For example, does it work better in a large or small environment? Corporate or non-profit? Team-focused or self-motivated? You can do this by examining your previous jobs – what you liked and what you didn’t like, what worked or didn’t work, and why.

You can’t go looking if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Not only that, but you’ll wait for it to come to you. You may be saying, “Wait! I contacted some recruiters!” and “I did some networking!” or “I’ve responded to ads!” But that is not enough, and although it is more difficult when you are employed, when you are unemployed you have nothing but time. And finding a job can be a full-time job.

Once you know what you are looking for, start placing eggs in your basket. Check job boards, find search companies that specialize in your discipline, contact and choose a few recruiters, network with your co-workers from previous jobs, contact employers at area companies that seem attractive to you – introduce yourself, ask advice, see if they have suggestions or connections.

Find opportunities that you would not have known if you had waited for everything to be found. You become energized rather than discouraged. And as you learn more about the personality of each company, the management style of each hiring authority, the description of each position, you make the decision to leave the egg in the basket or take it out. But the point is, if it doesn’t fit, you’re making the decision to remove it, rather than the company making the decision for you.

Obviously, if something comes up that seems to fit your profile, follow it. But my point is that having many opportunities to choose from is not a wonderful thing if few of them are viable. So don’t wait to see which of those dubious things comes through. Throw them over your shoulder and get after you find what you want!

Change is anathema to most people. It’s scary and uncomfortable. When you are passively looking for work, especially if you think you are proactive, you don’t have to think about what if you make the wrong decision, what if you don’t like the new job, what if you become unhappy with your new company, and “Oh, I miss that job I had five years ago! I wish I hadn’t quit!”

But, in fact, that is a fallacy. The only thing that being passive in your job search does is make sure your fears are actualized. To prevent those fears from coming true, you have to go out there and make it happen. The process can be scary, but the result is a relief. And the result is much longer than the process.

So instead of being passive, be proactive and aggressive. Instead of tossing eggs in the basket, know what you want so you can toss them. Instead of becoming inert because you are afraid of potential results, eliminate them by thinking of ways to uncover hidden opportunities to get the result you want.

The person who controls the process is you. The person responsible for finding your perfect job is you. The person who must live with the result is you. So it’s your choice: do you want to do it passively? Or do you want to do the opposite?