Seven Steps to a Rewarding Transitional Career: Getting Work in a Tough Economy

Step Three:

Networking and Creating Brand Awareness

Less than a decade ago I was swamped with snail-mail resumes. As a boutique search firm, I received literally hundreds of unsolicited resumes each week. Most received a five-second glance. Some made it for a whole 30 seconds. The bulk went into the circular file.

In the past few years, all that changed. I still receive the same volume of resumes, although the prevailing economy has shown an increasing trend. However, now these resumes are received via e-mail. Do I read them all? There isn't enough time to do it, so the subject line, the "cc" line and the first line or two in the body of the e-mail must catch my attention.

If I sense an immediate connection with the sender, I definitely ...