By Dawn Quesnel

If you’re in a job search right now, you may feel like your resume is getting stuck in the pipeline, and that you’re not getting the attention you deserve. Here are some key points to help you get noticed in this crowded market.

• Create a Profile Resume. Otherwise known as a Networking Resume, this is an overview of who you are and what you do. It lists your accomplishments, awards and accolades, and education, and gives a generalized summary of your previous work experience. When you meet contacts at networking events or online, this is what you should be giving them.

• When interviewing or prospecting, don’t formally submit a resume until you’ve asked for the job description. When you know the specifics of the position you’re applying for, you can tailor your resume to match.

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Use LinkedIn to research the company or companies you want to work for. You can use the Advanced Search feature for this. See if you have any second- or third-degree links to the people who make hiring decisions, and use those connections to get your resume into the right hands.

• When you schedule your interview, get the details. With whom will you be interviewing? What is his or her title or role in the current project? How much time will be scheduled for your meeting? These are very basic questions, but many people forget to ask them. 
When writing a cover letter, don’t address it To whom it may concern. Yes, this is standard business letter-writing procedure but if you can get the name of the hiring manager who’ll be interviewing you, you’ll be able to personalize your letter in a way that gets you noticed. If you can’t track down the hiring manager, submit your cover letter to the head of the HR department. You can also use LinkedIn to search contacts who might be able to walk your resume to the hiring manager.

• Don’t put yourself in a company’s database until you’re certain you’ve made a contact there. When you’re already in the database, you don’t get as much face or phone time. Once you’ve scheduled an interview, you’ll have plenty of time to enter your information.

Think of these strategies as good detective work. Get curious about the companies and people you’re considering an association with. Remember, when it comes to your pipeline, quality is always better than quantity. The better-prepared you are, and the more awareness you cultivate, the more likely you are to land the job you really want.

Dawn Quesnel, CPCC, PCC, aka, Coach DQ is bold, innovative, passionate, fun, and stands out from the crowd. Her work has been recognized by industry leaders including being named by the International Coach Federation New England “Career Coach of the Year” in June 2011. Certified as both a career, and a life coach, her company Career Life Balance, specializes in working with top performers through job and career changes, help them to better negotiate raises, and promotions to accelerate their career so they can love their life with a little more balance.