It's been more than a decade since I began inserting this advice into nearly every presentation and radio show I do: Never fill out an application unless it's absolutely necessary; don't do it then, either.

What have I learned over the last 10 years? That of all the things you could say to a job-seeker, this tip alone will generate heated discussion. And that people of all ages and backgrounds are committed to filling in little blanks with information they don't want to share for people who aren't going to read the form anyway.

Are we nuts? Even human resources staff admit they don't like applications, and they're the ones who started all this.

That may explain the popularity of online applications and in-store job kiosks. Now employers can waste your time without even making eye contact. Better yet, they can eliminate the need to read your application by letting the computer scan your answers.

You wouldn't believe the stories I hear from people who have applied for work on these systems.

One woman went to a busy Target store in our town and used the kiosk. Imagine her horror when the screen froze after she had entered her name, Social Security number, address and other identifying information. She couldn't go forward or backward, couldn't delete the information, couldn't shut down the program.

Not wanting to leave her data on the screen for passers-by to read, she tried to wave down an employee to help. It wasn't until she started shaking the kiosk in frustration that a security guard came over — not to help but to escort her out of the store.

AMY LINDGREN

WORKING STRATEGIES

Another woman at another major retailer was able to complete her application, a process that took more than 30 minutes. When she got to the last screen, she was instructed to pick up a nearby phone that she hadn't even noticed before. Excited to be moving to the next level, she followed the instructions and waited for someone to answer. Several rings later, the phone was answered by a real person, who informed my client that there were no jobs available.

Why didn't the computer simply say that at the beginning? Is the job-seeker's time really so inconsequential?

Other clients have reported that in-store kiosks are prone to shutting down if a job-seeker takes too long on a particular screen. Imagine wanting to work as a stocker or cleaner but needing computer and language skills advanced enough to beat a timer. As if speedy computing were the key skill required to wield a mop!

I don't ever want to hear store managers complain that their workers aren't what they needed; with screening methods like that, how could they be?

For my money, online applications are no better than in-store kiosks. Besides the strategic disadvantage of giving out information you shouldn't — because the screen won't advance without previous salaries, for example — they give you no indication at the outset how many questions will be asked.

I once worked with a client for most of a day while we passed one "gate" after another, winning the opportunity to write more and more essays. By the time this government application was done, dozens of pages had been completed, along with several essays, a letter and a pasted-in résumé.

At no point did we feel we could pause the program, store information for later or even trust that the preceding information was being saved. My client was afraid to leave her computer to use the bathroom or get a cup of coffee.

And, no, she did not get called for an interview.

And so I continue to beat the drum on this issue, hoping that, if job-seekers stop playing along, employers eventually may eliminate electronic and paper applications. Whether they do or not, remember that your job search should consist mostly of networking and outreach to employers you have targeted. A well-written, strategic résumé hand-delivered by an insider is the gold standard and will trump an application every time.

So, should you ever fill out applications? Really, no. Unless you have been told by a real human that a real human is waiting to read your application, I would say the odds of getting an interview from this process are very slim.

If you want to play those odds or if you want to work for a giant retailer and no one else, then go ahead: Knock yourself out. Because that is almost certainly what it will take to get noticed.

- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecaree rservice.com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.