Every day a new post or email appears from friends who have hit the brick wall of a job loss.   I've been through the Job Search process and know well how gut-wrenching and paralyzing that State of Impecuniosity can become.

Bin nair; dun gnat.....

Here are a few ideas that you may have overlooked:

1.  Remember:  90-95% of the best jobs and positions are NEVER ADVERTISED as you probably already know, but have forgotten given your metastisizing state of numb.

2. Send letters of inquiry and interest  where you'd like to work whether they have advertised openings or not. The short letter, if written well, compliments them in some way and relates to your expertise, may very well land an interview.  That technique has worked for me on more than one occasion. It's a form of schmoozing. Work it.

a. Call ahead and ask for the name (address & contact info) of the GM, CEO, or Decision-maker. You don't have to tell them who you are, just thank them profusely for the information.

They'll probably think you're the press.

b. Send a short cover letter, again complimenting the organization in some way, with a very short summary of your skills aka worth.  Include a 1-2-page, unfolded and perfect Resume directly to the decision-maker marked "Personal" and Attention to: ______ written on the outside of the 8x11 Manila Envelope.  Your letter will not get lost among the sea of searchers and oftentimes, will take priority.

Note: Sometimes, the CEO has been thinking about hiring someone with your skills, but has never gotten around to doing anything about it. Your poignant letter might  jog his/her memory into action.

Example: I landed an interview at the first-class Tremont Hotel in Galveston by hand-writing a simple note card to the Marketing Director. It complimented her and the staff for presenting only 4 of us with an elegant luncheon and a personal tour of the beautiful Victorian landmark.  My message ended with "If you are ever in need of an  Assistant, I would love to be a part of your finely-tuned organization in any capacity."

Did the same thing at a local, budding Yacht Club. Sent a quick, hand-written note to the General Manager (who was also a friend) complimenting him on his outstanding Marketing campaign in the local papers and Boating Magazines. That letter ended with: Bill, if you ever need any help, please don't hesitate to call. You guys are truly making a difference and I'd love to be a part of it.

He not only called for an interview, but offered me a job on the spot. Which I took.

At the time I wrote the note, I had no idea they were looking for an Office Manager who could organize their Grand Opening and write press releases. It didn't pay much, but filled my starving needs at the time and blessed me with contacts, referrals and great memories.

Side thrill: Met the world-famous fire-fighter and celebrity, Red Adair, who posed on a back-hoe at the ground-breaking ceremonies.

Slant each resume to fit the position for which you are applying.  No, do not lie, cheat or steal to do it. Surely something in your expertise can be highlighted to catch each decision-maker's eye? (I have three separate resumes slanted or personalized to fit each position with irrelevant skills deleted.)

One Way to Slant a Resume

This tip works best using a Functional Format:

Slanting a resume can be as simple as changing the SUMMARY or OBJECTIVE  line to state the exact title(s) listed in the ad for which you are applying. Takes almost zero time, if you've done a good job on the original.

My basic resume is two pages. The front page is "Functional" which bullets key skills and/or accomplishments (taken from all of my experience) listed under categories such as EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION, MARKETING. Each bullet begins with a strong verb. (Avoid: Duties include; Responsible for; Assisted in.)

If I want to apply for a Teaching Position, I put that in the Summary  or Objective line listing more achievements and skills under the category labeled Education.

On the other hand, if I want to apply for for a Secretarial position, I delete the Teacher/Instructor from the Summary/Objective line and add Administrative Assistant or Secretary or Office Manager or all three. 

The entire category that relates to that particular position is moved to the top where it will get the most focused attention from the reader.

The second page includes a chronological listing of experience (with only the years, never months), awards, memberships and colleges/universities attended.  Formal education more than 15 years ago, is listed at the end of the resume.

Chronological Experience on page 2 is changed to RELATED EXPERIENCE.

What Happens

When They Receive Your Perfectly Executed Resume?

When you understand the culling process a company goes through, slanting, personalizing or tailoring a resume to fit the position based on your skills borders on urgency.

The first reader, who is usually not the final Decision-maker, scans your resume and application for keywords.  When I work on a career package for someone, the first thing I ask them to do is to bring the actual advertisement of the job posting. With that information, it's fairly simple to incorporate the keywords to slant the resume. Key: Present yourself in their  language.

Here's what happens with when they receive your resume and application:  

The Personnel Director's assistant makes three stacks:

YES          NO             MAYBE

S/he goes through each resume, scans for relevancy and places each in its proper stack. At the end of that first run, the NOs are removed to clear the desk of clutter..... In which stack would yours have been?

Then, s/he goes through them one more time, focusing only on the MAYBES. Culls them again for YES or NO, then throws or tucks away the NOs. 

NOTE: The Decision-maker gets what's left.  <----- THAT's why you send yours to the head duck, first. 

Almost no one does this so, once again, you'll have a leg-up, if you will. It works.

Advertise yourself  in the Job-Search Section of the local papers. Include a very short, key-word loaded summary with your availability and contact information.

Remember: Employers check the Want-ads regularly to see how they can improve their ads. Yours will stand out and you could very well get a call.

Example:A friend took that Job-Search-Self-Marketing Bull-by-the-horns and got two calls very quickly. One offered only part-time work. She took it out of desperation. Long story short: When the organization realized her worth and expertise, that little self-promoting ad turned into the job of a lifetime.

For Writers

Write and submit a Guest column in the local paper(s). Pick a timely, upbeat topic that will grab the entire reading community and provoke commentary.

Send your 500-word article, self-photo and a cover letter directly to the Editor. Include a short, italicized promo announcing your title, services, blog, etc. Use the same format that novelists use on the inside jackets of their books, only shorter.

If you just want to test the waters, send a short email to the Editor summarizing the relevancy of a recent article or blog post you've written with a link to your blog. They usually respond fairly quickly with, hopefully, an invitation to submit the column. If they print it, you've just advertised yourself for free.

They don't pay anything for Guesting, usually, but once readers, aka Potential Employers, see your worth, you never know how far your words will reach or to whom.

Put your writing skills to  work. Check these out.

25+Actual Job Listings through Mashable/Twitter:

http://mashable.com/2009/08/26/mashable-jobs-aug26/

Time Warner Job Listings

 Syndication Ideas

 http://www.stylecareer.com/syndicated_columnist.shtml

BR

P.S. Thanks, Muse.