Everyone knows that the more raw opportunities one has to achieve a particular goal, the more likely they are to achieve the objective at least once. Shoot free throws continuously, you are likely to make one sooner or later (unless you are Dwight Howard or Shaq). The same applies to your job search. And unlike Dwight Howard or Shaq, you are not attempting to achieve a rate of 60%, all you need is ONE to say “yes”, and you’re golden. Many people already know of standard job search methods. There’s the good ol’ newspaper and job boards options. But adding variations to your job search strategy can prove to make all the difference in the world. Here are a few ideas:

– First, be sure to “optimize” your resume for each submission and not just send in the same resume for each position type. Review job descriptions to see where you can strengthen your resume’s keywords or highlight those skills that seem to be most important to the hiring authorities.

– Ensure that you are executing as many “job application actions” per day as you can. I actually had a client that once asked why her resume wasn’t working. Ends up she’d only applied for 8 jobs in 3 months. Really???

– Be sure to work your personal network. Make sure that your professional colleagues, friends and family know you are in the market for employment. Giving them a few copies of your resume couldn’t hurt.

– Send resumes to companies that haven’t posted openings Did you know that positions are filled before a position is even made public?

– Work with a recruiter to leverage your efforts. They are paid by the hiring company, so it costs you nothing.

– Contact temp agencies and see what they have to offer. In today’s economy, many companies use temp agencies to “test” employees for positions that eventually become permanent.

– Follow up resume and cover letter submissions when you can with phone calls, emails, etc. Statistics show that the first person to place a follow up call to a job posting has a 95% chance to get the job position and those who call the following day only have a 1% chance. The idea here is to become a “person” instead of just another “application. Sometimes, this can result in a phone interview on the spot.

– Contact your Alma Mater’s alumni services or career center resources to see what they can offer.

– You MUST integrate social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook into your strategy.