It was about two years ago that I had that moment in time that every guy has, when I woke up one morning, was flying through my getting-ready-for-work routine, shaving my face, looking in the mirror, and thinking to myself, “I hate my job. I've gotta cut and run.  I've gotta do this now. I need some real tips on how to find a new job.  I need a drink.”

And it was at that point that I began my job search. Two facts about my employment history – first, my out-of-college job was as an executive recruiter, so I know a bit about the job search arena (‘course that job lasted only six months so I don’t know as much about job search as I would if I hadn’t quit that job!). Second, when I found my next real job, I stayed at that company for almost twelve years. I’m not comfortable with disruption, uncertainty and not knowing where my next paycheck’s gonna come from.  And while you’re not supposed to actively look for another job while you’re at your current one (though I, like a lot of folks, did), most of your search has to be done either before you go to the office or after you get home – the two times you have no real desire to look.

As it turned out, I ended up, within two months of starting my search, with three offers that all hit at the same time. It was a grueling interview season and I know in one particular instance, I got lucky because I’m completely sure that I was violently unqualified for at least one of those offers (but the company, though they were huge, turns over its staff often and was desperate to hire anyone who could tie a tie).  I learned a ton during my search.   Here are my tips for a successful job search:

Connect with Everyone You Can.  Everyone says “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”  While the saying may be stale, the reality is that people who know you and like you from past experiences might do very nice things for you, like getting your resume in front of an elusive recruiter.  Use former co-workers, bosses, college pals, your folks, your cousins.   Join a networking/young professionals group and see if there’s an in-town alumni group for your college.  Just be a little shameless.  Not Vegas shameless, but be brazen and let people know you’re actively looking…except the people you currently work with.  They should know nothing, or they’ll blow your cover like an IUD hitting a Humvee.

David Dials Into The Network.  David had a situation in which he couldn’t get a company to call him back. He had sent his resume, the company indicated they were interested, then nothing – why has this thing gotten stuck in the mud? So he called on a former colleague who worked at that company and said, “Hey, man, would you mind reaching out to the internal recruiter and tell her I’m available to interview this Friday?”  Sure enough, the recruiter called later that day and David was in the chair, sweating like a pig but at least interviewing. And he got the offer.

Do a Company’s Online Job Listings Really Work?  You bet they do.  In fact, I had more recruiters at big companies tell me that before I could interview, they steered me to the company’s job postings to identify one or two listings that I thought would be a good fit.  I thought the recruiters were full of it.  I was wrong. When you hone in on a job position, a recruiter or interviewing manager can better align your skills with the job requirements.  They list those jobs for a reason.  Go to the company’s site and bring your board – surf’s up.

What About the Big Online Job Sites?  Truthfully, I had less luck with those.  The more senior you are, the more your network comes into play and the less a job clearinghouse like CareerBuilder.com or Monster.com applies. Not to say you shouldn’t browse. I’ve known guys who found great work using postings on these services. But using these clearinghouses shouldn’t take precedence over working your network.

I Know This Headhunter… Good.  Executive recruiters, or headhunters, can be great or they can frustrate the crap outta you.  Reason being is that they’re going to devote most of their attention to the opening that will net them the biggest payout (a small percentage of your annual salary).  You have an interview with the headhunter and then he or she tries to place you in a position in which the hiring company’s asked them to fill.  The hiring company’s the one who pays these guys, so they’ll work relentlessly to get the spots filled that will pay them the most.  However if they think they can place you easily or your position’s the one that can get them a big payday, you’re golden.  I wasn’t that guy when I was looking for another job so I found it a pretty frustrating endeavor, like chasing after a girl who won’t call you back after making out with you last Saturday.

This Job Posting is Three Months Old, Surely It’s Filled!   Not always.  In fact, my current company has had openings posted for over nine months that I know for a fact are still wide open (don’t email me about them, I don’t do the hiring around here!). One position that a buddy of mine was going for he found online on the company’s job board.  It was five months old.  He got in touch with the company’s recruiting department anyway and sure enough, it hadn’t been filled yet. My buddy got an interview.

Any Advantage to Using the Local Paper? In my personal experience, no.  However, somebody’s finding work because newspapers still put out a section every day with classified print ads for open jobs.  My recommendation is make that a weapon in your arsenal, but not your primary weapon.

While there are more options than ever before to find work and technology has made finding open jobs easier, it can also be overwhelming.  Companies have their own sites, there are specific job search sites to wade through, and your local newspaper has an online job search department.  A guy could drown in all those opportunities (most of which don’t apply or interest you).

That’s why it all goes back to whom you know.  And by whom you know, that doesn’t mean whom you know who can directly hire you, though that’d make the process much easier.  It’s whom you know who can move your resume forward, get you in front of his or her boss (like at a company happy hour that you just “show up” to), make introductions to a recruiter, or just folks who can keep you floating from person to person until that one key decision maker gets ahold of you.   It should be your Number 1 focus.  And the more you work, the more people you know, and the more your network builds for the next time you wake up, look yourself in the mirror and realize you can’t take another day and it’s yet again time to cut and run.