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5 Simple Steps to Turbo-Charge Your Executive Job Search

Often overlooked, these 5 simple steps can speed up your job search and encourage more executive recruiters and decision makers to call you.

1. Be seen as an achiever rather than a 'doer' by focusing your resume on your achievements rather than responsibilities. On your resume, under each of your job titles use 'Achievements' as a sub-heading followed by bullet points outlining your achievements in that role. Then add another sub-heading for responsibilities and outline your responsibilities.

2. Adding a Key Skills/Achievements summary at the top of your resume can help you to easily target yourself when applying to different positions. By looking at the requirements of the position you can point out your most relevant key skills/achievements in your Key Skills/Achievements summary. This helps the executive recruiter to instantly see you as a fit for the position.

3. Consider approaching people in companies that aren't advertising for your skill-set. Many vacancies still don't make it to the classifieds or executive job boards and this will help you tap into these vacancies. In addition to the 'contacts' section of a company website the company's press releases often contain a wealth of information on key contacts within the company.

4. Look for contacts in industry-specific publications. Experts usually know other experts and they may offer to help you, particularly if you demonstrate in your letter/email that you can add value to the industry/sector.

5. In addition to reaching for the classifieds take a good look at the business section of your newspaper. Here you'll learn which companies are expanding and winning orders. It likely won't be long before these companies are looking for people and by contacting them now you'll get in first when the competition for positions is often minimal.