There are many ways to obtain a job interview, but some are more effective than others.

1. Private Or Unadvertised Openings

About three out of four management hires, including those handled by search firms, take place through private or unadvertised openings - openings unknown to the public at large. These openings are the most confidential and difficult to find, but have the greatest potential for job flexibility and exceptional compensation.

Even when there are no current opportunities available, an employer can often create a job opening when the right candidate comes along. You need "to come along" before the job opening becomes public. That's where networking comes in. A recommendation from an influential referal fosters immediate trust and respect from a potential employer, and can provide you treatment as a choice candidate.

Research your list of key contacts in your personal and company Rolodex or contact manager. Look also through your industry association membership directory. Your closest friends and business associates are the best sources of job leads and job referrals. They are also most likely to respect your confidentiality and offer you their genuine help. They may even be able to refer you to a recruiter or other employment resource that can be of assistance.

2. Direct solicitation

Another good way to obtain a job interview is to directly solicit your employers of choice. Research the industry and identify the six to ten primary targets for your search.

Within these target firms, identify the direct hiring authority (immediate supervisor of the position you seek) and contact him or her directly. Try to obtain a personal meeting by stating your employment interest. Another approach is to find out a place where the supervisor frequents such as an industry trade association, or other facility that would foster a chance meeting. Of course the least effective and most risky means to contact the supervisor is through the mail. However if you intend to send something this way, use express mail to get the proper attention.

A direct solicitation risks exposure and may not be the best approach if you are concerned with confidentiality. Even if you ask the employer to respect your privacy, you are still vulnerable.

For private or public openings, executive recruiters are expert in penetrating their industry of specialization and locating reputable companies with attractive opportunities. Recruiters can introduce you to well-tailored job opportunities with little or no effort on your part. And they'll keep it confidential. To locate a recruiter in your specialty, try to get a referral from a colleague, your local trade association or one of your competitor's personnel department. Another good source is Kennedy Publication's Directory of Executive Recruiters, or the Recruiter's Online Network at www.recruitersonline.com

Be sure to find an executive recruiter highly recommended for his or her professionalism, performance, and ethics. From the start, emphasize to your recruiter that your name and credentials must remain anonymous to potential employers unless you okay their release. Ask recruiters to contact you only at home, or in your private office and only with opportunities that fit your career plan. Good executive recruiters can work within these requirements and may even arrange interviews without submitting your resume.

Like any brokers, recruiters work hardest for candidates who can help them close a sale. Such candidates have a marketable background, are clear on what they want, and are likely to accept a fair offer (usually 10 to 15% pay increase). Unwillingness to job move immediately or an unwillingness to accept a fair offer will discourage recruiters from working with you.

Remember, recruiters work for client companies, so you may need to wait for the right opportunity. Get to know two or three pros, and stick with them.

1. Classified or help wanted ads

Advertised openings are generally the least effective way to obtain a job interview. For employers, using ads is inefficient, expensive, time-consuming - and a last resort. So when you come to an employer's attention by this route, you are associated with an unpleasant process, and with a horde of candidates the company must weed out.

Sending in a resume is simply not effective. The Department of Labor survey from the early 1990s reported that only 5 out of 100 American jobholders got their positions through newspaper want ads. Other surveys indicate it is closer to 2 out of 100. Most resume readers take less than 5 seconds per resume to decide if the resume gets looked over later or pushed to the rejection pile.

Responding to ads also risks your reputation and confidentiality. Your resume often falls into the hands of junior-level administrators, gets entered into corporate data banks and perused by anyone who has access to the personnel department's files. This scenario is unlikely to lead to an appropriate offer.

If you do elect to market yourself through advertised openings, check out each opportunity through your network before contacting the company in need. Try to find out why the opening was not filled privately, how long the search has gone on, and what problems have affected the firm and the persons who held the position.

In pursuing an advertised opening, you can improve your chances by writing an effective cover letter, and responding to the ad within the first four days. Try to send a resume only after speaking to the hiring authority and concluding that both parties believe you are the "right" candidate. Interview only with an authority able to offer you a job. Bypassing those who have been assigned the rudimentary task of advertising and screening for the position - usually the personnel department, office managers, assistants, or secretaries - greatly improves your odds of getting an interview. Good sources for advertised positions are trade journals and magazines, local newspapers, and the National Business Employment Weekly.

2. Internet classified ads

The previous information is written and copyrighted by Frederick C. Hornberger, Jr., president of Hornberger Management Company, a national board and executive search firm specializing in the construction industry. This information is provided for personal use only. It may not be copied, printed or distributed to anyone other than you the reader, for any reason without permission from the author. Contact the author at address One Commerce Center, #747, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, phone 302-573-2541, email [email protected], or through the company web site at www.hmc.com.