Spread it around. It's a lot of work, but blanketing your geographic area with your resume is an old standby for a reason: It sometimes works. Why send your resume to a company that hasn't advertised any open positions? Because they may not ever advertise--even if a position comes open. Or, a position could open up the day after you submit your resume, and guess who will have a leg up in the selection process? Why, the person whose resume just came across the hiring manager's desk the previous day, of course. Identify the companies for whom you would like to work, and create a general resume (with specifics such as the company and recipient's name) that showcases your abilities and interests. You may not get a call even if you send out 200 of these, but then again, you might get 10 calls.
Apply for open jobs. It sounds like a no-brainer, but lots of people today skip the newspaper and online classifieds because they assume that the company will be deluged with resumes. And that's true. But if you're qualified, there's no reason not to apply and one very good reason to do so: You know they have an open position. Take the time to personalize your resume and cover letter as much as possible, as well as proof it thoroughly, and you'll already be in the top tier of candidates because too many people fail to take these easy steps.
Talk to a recruiter. Headhunters are one of the most under-utilized job hunting tools. Some people believe that headhunters only work for high-dollar professionals like doctors; others believe that recruiters only work for blue collar companies needing cheap labor. The truth is that headhunters are employed by companies across the board--and they always want to meet quality professionals like you. Legitimate headhunters don't charge job seekers a fee (they make money from the companies who hire the candidates they provide), so what do you have to lose?
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Author: Jason Kay