Okay, so now that you have a solid resume and cover letter(s), it is time to start marketing yourself! There are many tactics you can use, and I would suggest using several or all of these methods of connecting to your next job.

Job Boards

These days, job boards have become a large focus of many job searches. Although these can be a great tool in your search, it is important that you don’t spend too much time just browsing the job boards. Many job search sites, such as Monster and CareerBuilder actually allow you to set up automatic emailed job searches, so when a new job posting that matches you criteria comes up, you will be notified.

NOTE: If you are currently employed and confidentiality is important to you, you will be given the option on most job sites of posting a Confidential Resume.

Tip: Instead of searching each job board individually, you can sign up for free notifications of posted jobs via an aggregator job site, such as Indeed or SimplyHired.

Tip: To post to multiple job boards at one time, you can pay for a service such as ResumeRabbit. This can save you countless hours of manually entering your information on job sites.

Resume Blasting Services

If you are looking to get your resume into the hands of as many recruiters and employers as possible, Resume Blasting may be a good option for you. You can try EmailMyResume or Employment911. What these services do is send out emails with your resume to recruiters and employers who have signed up to receive resumes via their service. There are also Resume Faxing and Resume Mailing services, if you would prefer to go this route.

Networking

This is probably the most successful way people get a job. Some estimates say up to 80% of jobs never actually get advertised, and are filled via the “who you know” network. So, who can you network with? Everybody! Look at it this way- how many people do you know? And how many people do these people know? And how many of them are employed? Get the idea? The old six degrees of separation!

Tip: You will likely get a better reaction if you appeal to a person in terms of “information gathering” while networking. Creating friendships before asking for favors is a lot more likely to get results.

If you attended college, your Alumni Association and/or Career Center can be great sources for making contacts. You will often be given access to a directory of alumni, who may be willing to help you in your search. The Career Center may also receive requests from employers (often alumni) who are looking to fill positions (entry-level and up). If you are not already a member of an industry association, you may want to consider joining a local chapter. Weddle’s has an extensive directory of associations.

A good recruiter (aka headhunter or executive recruiter) can be a great networking partner. Just be aware, they get paid by the client (hiring company), and therefore are trying to find the best fit for their clients. If you don't fit one of their current opportunities, they may not be able to help you right away. To find a recruiter in your field or one that focuses on your geographic area, check out Online Recruiters Directory, Oya's Directory of Recruiters, or SearchFirm.

So, what if you can’t find anyone in your immediate circle who can help you? Try expanding your circle online. Online networking sites have exploded in the past few years. There are sites that focus on business connections and social networking (and every kind of hybrid in-between). You can use business networking sites such as LinkedIn or Xanga, or social networking sites such as MySpace or Yowie. These will allow you to connect with people across the globe, and potentially find people who are willing to introduce you to others.

To learn more about how to use LinkedIn in your job search, check out these sites:
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_do_i_use_linkedin_to_find_a_job.html
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html
http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2007/08/15/the-right-way-to-use-linkedin/