Network, network, network. Ask people you know who they know and get 2 names from each of them. Don’t make it sound like you will be bugging people to help you get a job, but position your contact as a discussion to get sound advice. Join organizations and meet as many new people as you can. Have personal business cards made up that tell people in a nutshell what you offer.

Find small and medium sized firms you’d like to work for. Most of hiring is done by these firms and they usually don’t advertise prominently. That means you will have far less competition. Go to library and look at reference books to find companies that interest you. Then craft a good cover letter showing you know something about them and how you might be able to help. Follow up with a telephone call and ask for an interview. If they are not hiring, ask for names of people who are (network, network, network).

To get a job today, you need to be aggressive and creative. Follow these steps and your efforts will be well rewarded.

Don Goodman is a nationally known career expert and President of About Jobs (www.gotthejob.com) a Resume Writing and Job Search Assistance firm. Contact him at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at success@gotthejob.com.

Headhunters are a favorite for many people and this route has an effectiveness rate of 3-28% depending on level of position you are seeking. The higher up in organization you are, better chances that a company will be willing to pay a fee to find you. The average headhunter fee is 20% which translates to a $10,000 fee for every $50,000 of salary. So if you are a staff professional, you might wonder if a company is willing to pay $10,000 to get you, especially if they can get hundreds of resumes through a simple ad. Some resume writing professionals can e-mail your resume to a quality list of headhunters that fit your criteria for as little as $97, and this could be well worth it.

Finally, consider direct contact method. This is where you conduct a direct mail campaign to targeted hiring managers in companies you have identified. A properly prepared campaign can find unadvertised jobs and has an effectiveness rate as high as 50% depending on exactly how you do it. For example, sending an unsolicited resume and cover letter has a 2-8% effectiveness rate while better developed programs provide an effectiveness rate over 40%. First, you need to make sure your resume is great. These programs are probably best handled in collaboration with a professional firm that has database and expertise to put right letters and resume together for you. Note that these programs do not have to cost thousands charged by some of firms out there. Do your shopping carefully and you can find a cost effective program that has highest rate of success.

Even though today’s job market is tight, companies are hiring. Follow steps outlined to develop an aggressive and focused job search, and you can be in your dream job.

Don Goodman is a nationally known career expert and President of About Jobs (www.gotthejob.com) a Resume Writing and Job Search Assistance firm. Contact him at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at success@gotthejob.com.