It used to be true that firms preferred to hire employed people because only the deadwood were let go from a company. However, in the past 10 years, corporate mergers and acquisitions, hostile takeovers, and right-sizings have put many highly qualif ied professionals on the street through no fault of their own. Prospective employers are aware of this trend. If you maintain your self-confidence and tell a potential employer what you can do for him, he will consider another firm's loss his gain.

People and companies like to see their names in print, especially if it took some effort to find them. Chapters 2 and 5 include tips to help you find the real addressee even when the person is trying to be incognito.

Despite conventional wisdom, you do not want to start your job search with a major resume effort. To do this puts the cart before the horse. A resume is really a kind of ad or brochure. Before developing an ad campaign, an advertising agency carefully targets its market and defines its customers' needs and priorities. Only after identifying these factors, does the copywriter describe features and benefits most useful to the targeted market. In your case, you are the product. You bear the responsibility of selling your most important experiences and attributes to potential employers on a person-to-person basis. If you write your resume before you have found out what they need, you are missing an opportunity to present your best case.