COMPETITION

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I was told that companies don't have enough manpower to hire people to interview potential employees. The five leading jobs boards I'm searching on aren't creating enough buzz for anyone to get a job and connect solely with employers. People just aren't getting hired through them. I just heard a woman in the library say that her resume isn't getting noticed. What makes a resume outstanding enough for employers to call you? Hidden from View

A: Dear Hidden, You and she have fallen for the easy way to job hunt that puts people in a tailspin. Because you believe that companies can't hire sufficient staff, you assume that the only way to job hunt is through job boards. You also need to network and meet with people in companies.

Competition for attention online is fierce, because that's the most popular, albeit least effective, method of job hunting. Most people, like you, spend 100 percent of their time with online applications.

Increase your online odds by developing an outstanding application for a job that matches your background, researching to find the company and making direct contact. Don't wait for a company to call. mlc

OPINIONS

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, My job started as a freelance gig and just before the recession hit, I leaped at a staff gig for the benefits. HR in my company has indicated I may not be able to skip from my current position to director rather than manager, despite my experience and previous salary history. What should I do? Ambitious

A: Dear Ambitious, You can't possibly believe everything you hear, especially when you have one opinion. HR at your company might not let you leapfrog over a managerial position in much the same way that secretaries run into roadblocks when they want to advance in their company. Think: "Once a secretary, always a secretary" or "Once a freelancer, never a director."

Your HR person is telling you what he/she thinks. Is this person supportive of you? If so, does anyone else in HR view your situation differently? How about other people in the company who might promote you?

Do more research around the company to find the people who could use your skills and who have the power to overrule how the HR person thinks. If you keep hearing that leapfrogging doesn't occur in the company, try leapfrogging out the door. mlc

**BlogTip**

OOPS!

Before you walk onto an employer's property, you should bring a strategy to help you sail through any conversation at the company. Be professional at all costs. If you aren't, you'll find yourself offer-less.

Take the case of Kate, who was bitter about her old job, according to Alexandra Levit, author of "Blind Spots" (Berkley, $15). Kate was warming to her interviewer, whose nice and compassionate manner drew her in. In fact, "Kate unloaded on her," reports Levit.

Later, however, Kate did the right thing. She followed up to find out if she got the job. The hiring manager said, "We've filled the position, but I have to admit we were a bit concerned about you. Maybe you could use someone to talk to?" Perhaps Kate finally got the idea that she'd had a blind spot, that a work/life manner doesn't mean let it all hang out.

Levit also tells the story of Cody, who made it to the interview for an internship at one of the nation's leading companies. The interviewer described a fictional business problem for him to solve. Cody grabbed his iPhone and started texting. The interviewer commented, "This isn't 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.' You don't get a lifeline."

(Dr. Mildred Culp welcomes your questions at culp@workwise.net. © 2011 Passage Media.)