1. DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD



Most advertised positions invite thousands of applications. An average job seeker pursuing advertised job openings online and offline will need to apply for a lot of jobs to generate any decent response. Even then, a chosen applicant will be competing with dozens of others during an interview stage.

Sending your resume cold is no answer either. While you may occasionally hit the jackpot (after all, the non-advertised job market presents the most opportunities), chances are all you will only end up with is a handful of rejection letters. Using a ?hit and miss? approach is better and less competitive than applying for advertised positions, but the results are marginal at best.

A somewhat unconventional strategy that is highly productive is a targeted approach. It requires an open mind and a take-charge attitude, but it will work for an assertive executive. Here is a real-life example of this: Randy (a CFO in the Technology sector) contacted Presidents of small and mid-size software companies, offering to show them how to develop cost-effective offshore outsourcing programs. His expertise in this area was enthusiastically received by about 20% of decision makers (compare this with less than 1% response he was getting when applying for advertised jobs or sending a cold proposal). Randy then presented a sharp resume that clearly outlined his knowledge and potential benefits. Within 10 weeks, he received 9 interviews and 4 offers (one of which he couldn't turn down!).

2. MAKE IT EASY FOR EMPLOYERS TO HIRE YOU

A large percentage of today's employers see recruitment as a big risk. Some companies in this market actually prefer not to fill an executive position rather than take a chance and hire an incompetent candidate. If you want to break the barrier and overcome resistance, you need to clearly show employers why hiring you makes good economic sense. One way to achieve this is to propose a performance measurement system that virtually eliminates employer's risk. Another is to make your remuneration contingency based. The third is to become a working partner and contribute your own capital. The forth is to act as an independent consultant and make your new employer your client.

As you can see, you have many options. By carefully considering your goals and potential employer's risk tolerance level, you can present a feasible, well thought-out proposal that will make hiring you a no-brainier for employers.

3. ALWAYS LOOK LIKE A FIRST-RATE CANDIDATE

There is no bigger turnoff for any hiring decision maker than a canned executive resume. A bad advertisement can kill a good product; a second-rate resume can disqualify even the most talented executive. Most employers have no prior history with you and trying to impress them with a resume copied from a book is a sure way to say, ?reject me?.

Look at your presentation this way ? you are aiming to convince employers to select you over other talented applicants and pay you a high salary. If you are seeking $150,000 a year and expect to work for a new employer for 5 years, you are essentially asking them to make a $750,000 decision. Equip yourself with an outstanding document and you will gain an immediate advantage.

The secret to resume writing is to avoid common jargon, not make it sound like ?old news?, and update it with a specific focus on the needs of this market.