With how shaky our economy is no one's job is guaranteed, not even an executives. If you are an executive that has been the victim of a layoff the key to finding a new executive job is to get out there and look for a new job. This means that you are going to have to spruce up your resume and start knocking on doors, but it helps to have some tricks up your sleeve. Here are some tools that you are going to need to help you land that next executive level job.

Number one: Executive Resume
The most important document that you will need for your job search is going to be your executive resume. Your resume is going to need to be concise, but that does not mean that you should leave out important information. While most resumes are only going to be one page, your executive resume can be one to two pages long. However, if your amount of experience is relevant to the job that you are applying means that your resume needs to be longer than two pages you need to make it longer, just make sure that you leave out anything that is unnecessary.

Number two: Stand out
One thing that you want to think about is that because of how many people are now competing for the same jobs you are going to want to make sure that you stand out from the crowd. You want to be able to convince the company that you are applying at that you can provide them with a high return on their investment, which would be them hiring you.

Number three: An elevator speech
You are going to need to be able to give a thirty-second summary that can introduce people to how they can help you find your next job, or why they should offer you employment. Keep in mind that this introduction should be able to be given to somebody in an elevator while traveling to the next floor, hence the nickname "elevator speech". Since you have had an executive position before chances are good that you have delivered this type of speech when looking for jobs, but if you have been laid off now is the time to fine-tune your speech so that you can add in information on your new goals or other important information. For example, you might to add information on the last big worked that you put together or how you were able to save your company money. This speech is going to need to cover four key elements: who you are, what you do, what you are looking for, and any important information that is relevant to your experience and/or your job searching goals. Perhaps the most important thing about this speech is not developing it, but knowing when it is appropriate to use this type of speech. Which comes down to you should always be prepared to give this speech because you never know when a business opportunity is going to arise.

Number four: Network
One of the best ways to find a good job in little time is to have a network. This network is going to include anybody and everybody that you know of who can lead you to possible job openings. You want to start building your network with the people that you know in the industry that you wish to be employed in, but you are also going to want to include people who are remotely connected to finding you a job because you never know whom it is that they know. Some of your best sources for networking are clients, colleagues, family, and friends. When talking to people who you want to include in your network or even asking them about their network you might want to think about a few key points that you want to address such as industry specific skills, what referrals people have, etc.

It is very important to know people because this might be the difference between getting a phone call to come in for an interview and landing the job. Knowing people can come in handy because there are a lot of executives out there with equal education and experience, so building a solid network and knowing people in high places can be the edge that you need to land the job. A perfect example of this would be you and another executive applying for the same job, both of you were laid off from your previous company, both have the same level of experience, and both of you have the same level of education, down to matching degrees. The biggest difference is that they happen to be friends with the CEO's second in command and you are just somebody from off the street. Chances are in that situation you will not be the one to get the job, unless something drastic happens during the interview.

Number five: Leadership initiative document
Something that executives are just now starting to use to help them with their job search is a leadership initiative document. This is a one or two page document that executives are using to further market their achievements and leadership experience, in other words it is an extension of their resume. This can be a huge bonus because it will allow you to highlight important accomplishments that you feel will make you stand out from the other executives. List three to five career defining stories that describe a specific situation or challenge that you have faced before. Also, include how you managed the situation by including which tactics you used to solve the problems and what results were achieved. When figuring out what stories to include that you pick out the ones that will best show your potential employer what it is you hope to accomplish at their company with your new position.

Number six: A professional resume
Your professional biography is an important tool that you can use while looking for that next executive job. Many people tend to use professional biographies for portfolios or personal websites. The professional biography is designed to provide more extensive information about you than your resume provides or even a leadership initiative document provides. This biography is going to tell all about your professional experiences in a manner that puts your best foot forward. While you are creating a professional biography, you want to remember that it is also going to be used by recruiters to introduce you to a company. Recruiters can also use it to help get you further along in the interview process. Even after you have found your next executive job you do not want to throw this document away because it can also be used for company news releases, marketing materials, and websites.

Number seven: Targeted summary search
Another important document that you are going to need to have on hand to help you find that next executive level job is a targeted summary search. This document is used to identify employers and industries in which you are interested in working. Because this document is a targeted document it can come in handy during networking meetings because you can give to the people in your network that you are using to help find your new executive job. By giving the people in your network a detailed wish list of the type of job that you are looking for or at least detailed information on the type of industry that you want to work in the people in your network will be able to narrow down the job openings to what it is you are looking for.

Number eight: Interview preparedness
There is nothing worse than going into an interview for an executive interview and suffering from a loss of words. To prevent this from happening you are going to want to prepare for the interview ahead of time. Practice asking and answering possible questions that can come up in the interview as often as possible. You can practice in a mirror or you can have other people ask you the questions. Keep practicing until you can answer all of the possible questions smoothly. You can find a list of potential interview questions on the internet by using a search engine, type in the key words "executive interview questions" or even tips for executive interviews".

When you are out looking for a new executive job, you are going to run across many hiring managers and recruiters. It is very easy to overwhelm them with too much information, so you are going to want to be careful with what information you supply them with. For example rather than giving them, your professional biography and your leadership initiative simply give them your professional biography and save the leadership initiative for your follow up to the interview. What you are looking to do is to stimulate their interest in your professional abilities, so you want to hand select the items that show the best of your abilities. However, you should be prepared with all of them.