Finding a Good Job in a Lousy Job Market: The 50/50/50 Method

By Marty Nemko

You'll likely land a good job if you do these three things.

At 50 fast-growing organizations, contact a person with the power to hire you. How do you find growing organizations? See which organizations have large ads in the Sunday paper. Contact them even if they don't list a job you might be qualified for. Or visit venturewire.com. It lists companies that have received an infusion of cash and so are more likely to be hiring.
Once you get an organization's name, visit its website or call directory assistance to get its main phone number. Then ask the organization's switchboard operator for the correct spelling of the person responsible for hiring people like you, for example, the sales manager if you're looking for a sales position. Then ask for that person's phone number and e-mail address. On the phone or in a letter, explain, in a human way, why you're looking for work, why you picked that organization, and what you bring to the table. More often than you might think, a job gets created for you or you gain the inside track on an upcoming opening.

Contact 50 people who like you and might know someone who could potentially hire you for a suitable job. When people say, "I don't know of anyone," ask if they'd keep their ears open for you. If so, you've just recruited a scout. Tell them that, if you're still looking, you'll check back in a month. That tends to keep them more vigilant.

Answer 50 on-target want ads. The internet makes it easy to find them. Websites such as craigslist.org, bayrecruiter.com, monster.com, and careerbuilder.com list literally millions of openings, and napanet.com lists local jobs. Just enter your desired location and keywords, and matching job openings pop up instantly.