Cassie was not only very good looking, but she was charming and articulate, as well. What's more, she had a good employment track record. You'd think employer would be stumbling all over themselves to get her as part of the team.

Cassie was terribly distressed because she had been answering ads with no meaningful job search results. She knew that if she could just get in front of a decision-maker she'd have no trouble presenting herself in a professional but compelling way. She wasn't lacking in self confidence.

At thirty-two, Cassie wanted a change from her civil service position as Assistant Superintendent in an East Coast correctional facility. She worried because her background would be a drawback in the private sector. She was right.

But she figured if she sent out enough resumes as part of her job search someone was sure to find value in her background. A year and some 150 resumes later, followed by 17 job site postings, Cassie was totally discouraged.

Oh, she had a few nibbles -- a couple commission sales jobs, an Amway distributorship, and a call from a security alarm company -- "opportunities" distinctly beneath her expectations and salary requirements.

Cassie's problem is a common one. Getting locked into a single career ladder without any awareness of the dynamics of the job marketplace makes for a very tough job search. Unless . . . you have a fresh alternative way to think of your career and a way of packaging and presenting your skills that can get an employer's heart started.

You, or Cassie, have to take the initiative to make an employer pay attention to you. You have to be a salesperson for yourself. A prospective employer must see you in a way that's going to make bottom-line sense.

So, it's not what Cassie did for the State that was the backbone of her job seeking skills. It's how well she could be perceived as making a contribution to your next employer that would make the difference.

Her new job seeking skills meant that she had to translate her experience with the State into language a business employer will understand. She had to learn how to show him/her that it's profitable to bring her on board.

In short, Cassie a new way of developing and implementing her job seeking skills. Using old-fashioned methods weren't going to work for her. The techniques and strategies of a non-traditional approach were her best shot at getting quick results. Being a hottie just isn't enough these days!