Skip HR and Contact the Hiring Manager to Get That Job

Do you feel like you're sending your resume down endless black holes? Not getting interviews? They might be getting hung up in HR-which means you need to go to the source: the hiring manager.

Contacting the hiring manager directly sets you apart as a go-getter. It's a concrete demonstration that you can do what it takes to overcome an obstacle and get something done. It gives you a chance to present your case (helpful if you're transitioning into the field) that you might not get if you're weeded out by HR.

How do you do that? LinkedIn is an excellent source for gathering information on companies and hiring managers. You can often get more information about a company through it's LinkedIn page than you can get from its corporate website. You can certainly get more professional details about the people who work there--including how to contact them.

If you decide to contact the hiring manager by sending a copy of your resume (with a killer cover letter that's not an attachment, but is the body of your email), and that doesn't get you anywhere, try sending a copy of your 30/60/90-day plan. That's an attention-getter that might work for you as a last-ditch effort.

If you're not getting anywhere in your job search even though you're trying out-of-the-box techniques, find a career coach. There could be some small thing you're not even aware of that's killing your chances. An experienced career coach can also help you to identify what makes you unique and train you in fine-tuning your brand so that you can sell yourself as a candidate more effectively-and get the job.