The economy is picking up, budgets are new, positions are open and companies are hiring. Now is the time to rev up your job search efforts. Use these tips to dramatically improve your results.

Get on the job boards and make sure you setup search agents so you get a daily e-mail whenever a new job is posted that meets your criteria. Look for niche boards that focus on your profession.

Make sure your resume is great. If your resume has been posted for a while and you have not been getting calls, then run, don't walk, to a professional resume writing service. This is one of the best hiring times of the year and an investment of a couple of hundred dollars to have a resume that gets you noticed is well worth it.

Identify companies that you like and focus on opportunities with them. When you find one, see if you can find the name of the hiring manager. Then, after researching the company, call the manager and say something like, "A friend told me you might be looking for a XYZ. I have over 8 years in XYZ and have been very successful with such companies as (NAMEDROP)." Then, and this is important, ask him intelligent probing questions that demonstrate your knowledge. By building some rapport with the hiring manager, you will be on the top of his mind when he is looking at resumes.

Network, network, network. Ask people you know who they know and get 2 names from each of them. Don't make it sound like you will be bugging people to help you get a job, but position your contact as a discussion to get sound advice. Join organizations and meet as many new people as you can. Have personal business cards made up that tell people in a nutshell what you offer.

Find small and medium sized firms you'd like to work for. Most of the hiring is done by these firms and they usually don't advertise prominently. That means you will have far less competition. Go to the library and look at reference books to find companies that interest you. Then craft a good cover letter showing you know something about them and how you might be able to help. Follow up with a telephone call and ask for an interview. If they are not hiring, ask for names of people who are (network, network, network).

To get a job today, you need to be aggressive and creative. Follow these steps and your efforts will be well rewarded.

Don Goodman is a nationally known career expert and President of About Jobs (http://www.gotthejob.com) a Resume Writing and Job Search Assistance firm. Contact him at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at success@gotthejob.com.