It's tough to find a good job. Even more difficult, is to find a job, any job, in a bad economy. When people in record numbers are unemployed you can bet that the job seeking market is saturated with good people who fell victim to bad economic times. That means more & better competition (an HR managers delight) for you. Guaranteed the traditional routs to finding a job are crowed and your resume has a pretty good chance of being buried in a sea of other resumes.

Here are some ways that I have come across to find a job off the beaten path; and with success.

*THE CONTRACTORS BLUE BOOK* It's a veritable buffet of fax numbers, phone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses. They list contractors in all lines of work from ADA Consultants to Yard Waste Recyclers AND it's FREE. Best of all when contractors register with the Blue Book usually they put the owners email address not realising the the information will be available to anyone who looks for it, so you bypass the screeners. All except for the spam filter ... but if you title your email with something like:

Seeking an employment opportunity - resume attached

people will usually take a look. Use your cover letter as the body of your email so they can check you out without having to download anything first.

Send your resume whether or not they are actively seeking to fill a position. You never know who might need you and just haven't gotten around to looking yet.

You can literally send hundreds of resumes out with this resource.

*GO DIRECT* Maybe there are some companies that you would like to work for. Don't wait for them to post an add, sometimes they wont place any and will simply list their opening on their website. So check it out. Even if they don't have an opening listed send your resume to any and all email addresses and fax numbers they have available.

*PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS* Surely during your working life you have had contact with other companies related to the industry your in. Think vendors, suppliers, customers, colleagues. Are there any good contacts you've made over the years? Give them a jingle and let them know your available.

Where ever I work I keep a list of good contacts I've made that might come in handy in the future; and they have. Most times if they don't have anything for me, they remember me when they hear of someone who does.

If you've made a good reputation for yourself in your field, this could very well be your most valuable and successful resource.

*PATIENCE & TENACITY* Remember it's going to take time. Be patient and try not to stress too much. Work hard and keep working hard, it will happen if you make it.