So, you are finding yourself either in an unhappy environment, have accepted a ‘buy out’, or maybe like so many, find yourself collecting unemployment? Colleagues and friends often ask me about how to improve and enhance a job search. In the past, you may have simply applied to positions in your field and gotten multiple offers. This time is different. Erase all the job-seeking lessons you learned from your past. Today is new and we are now in uncharted waters. So, what can you do to amp up your game? Are you ready to jump-start your job search? 1 – Sharpen your resume! Take a careful look at how you are portraying your experience. Do you focus on tasks or accomplishments? Most hiring managers like to see a solid work history and how you improved the organization. The best resumes focus more on accomplishments and less on the duties performed. For example, a fundraiser can easily accomplish this task by focusing on a dollar amount or number of donations made due to their efforts. If you aren’t a fundraiser, how do you show off what you’ve done for the organization or what innovations did you bring to the role you vacated? Did you implement a new process? If so, explain that process improvement project you led and the value brought to the organization. Keep your resume to two pages, if at all possible. If you need to trim off – take the oldest experiences and consolidate them. For instance, you worked at two retail jobs from 1995 – 2002. Instead, refer back to that period as ‘various retail positions‘ followed by a description ‘more information available upon request’. Alternatively, drop those experiences off of your resume. The idea is to focus on 2003 to present, or the experiences that best demonstrate how you best fit into the job you are applying to. In most cases, the more recent experiences are more relevant to what you’d like to do going forward. Unless you are a new grad, keep graduation dates off of your resume. Seriously, this information is irrelevant and not necessary. It also ‘dates’ you unnecessarily. 2 – Keep lists! Decide on the types of organizations you’d like to target. Get a list together (I keep my list on my phone in the notes area), but a notebook works. In addition to the targeted company list, keep a list of all the positions you applied to and which resume version you’ve used (if you have an extended version and a short version – for instance). 3 – Once you’ve applied to your dream job, now you should go back to that list you have and look up who you might know at that organization. LinkedIn is a great place to look for that kind of information. If you don’t know anyone there, seek out a few people to connect to. Find out what groups within LinkedIn that they are a member of – join that group. Find a way to connect. Call that company, ask to speak to someone in HR. Tell that person that you recently applied to their xxx position and you’d like to make sure your resume was received. 4 – Tell your LinkedIn network that you are looking for a new job. Seriously, this one is often overlooked by a job seeker. Let your friends and former coworkers know. And don’t just mention it once in a posting – send messages individually to your network. Ask them if they might know of any positions that would match your background. Send them your resume too! 5 – You have a list of targeted organizations – right? If not, do your homework and search for the organizations that might fit with your personal beliefs or ambitions. Now, reach out to those companies via their HR team, or former coworkers who might know someone at that organization. Message them, call them, email, or whatever it takes to promote yourself. You’ll be surprised at how many people are willing to help you. Let me know if this advice works for your situation. I advise job seekers regularly, and these methods will work for most professionals in a regular job market. In downturns, a job seeker needs to stand out and amplify their approach. —- Learn more about ExecSearches’s resume review and job search coaching services.