Want a job in IT, or any other field? Research your target company's products and customers from their Web site, then write a list of possible improvements based on what you find and what you've done for other companies (or what you learned in school).

Here's an even better way to research an employer.

Network your way into the company and ask employees what they're biggest frustrations

Would learning how to do that interest you? I thought so.

I call this the "start-working-before-you-get-hired" job-hunting method. You can learn to do it in the next two minutes. And start getting more job leads today.

Begin by understanding that getting hired for a job -- any job -- all boils down to one thing: proof. It's one thing to claim you're the one to hire. Anyone can do that. But can you prove it?

According to Nick Corcodilos, author of the best-selling "Ask The Headhunter" (www.asktheheadhunter.com), "To get a hiring manager's attention, you should become an expert in his business, understand the work he needs done, and find out how he would want you to do it. Then walk in and prove to him that you're going to make his business more successful."

Here are some examples to help you do that ...

Say you're looking for a sales job. You can research your target company and create a marketing plan, bring qualified leads to the interview, research the competition to uncover selling opportunities -- or all of the above.

How about a job as a trainer or teacher? Research and prepare a sample curriculum, then deliver a mini-lesson in the interview. (I know for a fact that this works -- I did it back in 1989 and got hired over 200+ other candidates.)

Want to be a writer or editor? Bring writing samples to the interview -- and write up a special report about your target employer based on what your research tells you.

To get hired faster, start working before you get hired. Is this starting to make sense yet?

Want a job in IT, or any other field? Research your target company's products and customers from their Web site, then write a list of possible improvements based on what you find and what you've done for other companies (or what you learned in school).

Here's an even better way to research an employer.

Network your way into the company and ask employees what they're biggest frustrations

According to Nick Corcodilos, author of the best-selling "Ask The Headhunter" (www.asktheheadhunter.com), "To get a hiring manager's attention, you should become an expert in his business, understand the work he needs done, and find out how he would want you to do it. Then walk in and prove to him that you're going to make his business more successful."

Here are some examples to help you do that ...

Say you're looking for a sales job. You can research your target company and create a marketing plan, bring qualified leads to the interview, research the competition to uncover selling opportunities -- or all of the above.

How about a job as a trainer or teacher? Research and prepare a sample curriculum, then deliver a mini-lesson in the interview. (I know for a fact that this works -- I did it back in 1989 and got hired over 200+ other candidates.)

Want to be a writer or editor? Bring writing samples to the interview -- and write up a special report about your target employer based on what your research tells you.

To get hired faster, start working before you get hired. Is this starting to make sense yet?

Want a job in IT, or any other field? Research your target company's products and customers from their Web site, then write a list of possible improvements based on what you find and what you've done for other companies (or what you learned in school).

Here's an even better way to research an employer.

Network your way into the company and ask employees what they're biggest frustrations

Here are some examples to help you do that ...

Say you're looking for a sales job. You can research your target company and create a marketing plan, bring qualified leads to the interview, research the competition to uncover selling opportunities -- or all of the above.

How about a job as a trainer or teacher? Research and prepare a sample curriculum, then deliver a mini-lesson in the interview. (I know for a fact that this works -- I did it back in 1989 and got hired over 200+ other candidates.)

Want to be a writer or editor? Bring writing samples to the interview -- and write up a special report about your target employer based on what your research tells you.

To get hired faster, start working before you get hired. Is this starting to make sense yet?

Want a job in IT, or any other field? Research your target company's products and customers from their Web site, then write a list of possible improvements based on what you find and what you've done for other companies (or what you learned in school).

Here's an even better way to research an employer.

Network your way into the company and ask employees what they're biggest frustrations

Want to be a writer or editor? Bring writing samples to the interview -- and write up a special report about your target employer based on what your research tells you.

To get hired faster, start working before you get hired. Is this starting to make sense yet?

Want a job in IT, or any other field? Research your target company's products and customers from their Web site, then write a list of possible improvements based on what you find and what you've done for other companies (or what you learned in school).

Here's an even better way to research an employer.

Network your way into the company and ask employees what they're biggest frustrations

Want a job in IT, or any other field? Research your target company's products and customers from their Web site, then write a list of possible improvements based on what you find and what you've done for other companies (or what you learned in school).

Here's an even better way to research an employer.

Network your way into the company and ask employees what they're biggest frustrations are. You will get an earful of answers. Now, do you think you MIGHT get a hiring manager's attention if you were to call and say, "I've just interviewed 5 people in your IT department and boiled their comments down to three major problems facing your company. I've solved each of these problems before. Could I buy you a cup of coffee and show you my findings tomorrow at 3:00?"

OK, you say. That's fine if I have contacts at the company I want to work for. But I don't know anyone at Company X, so that technique won't work for me, right?

Wrong. Web sites like www.LinkedIn.com let you make contact with people at almost any company, in almost any industry. And LinkedIn.com is free. So you're out of excuses for lackadaisical networking.

With the right mix of research, preparation and gumption, you will literally have no competition for the job you want. Corcodilos sums it up this way: "When you meet an employer, don't wait for anyone to prod you. Do the job -- right there in the interview."

Does this job-search method seem like a lot of work? Well, so is that job you want to get hired for.

"Why should convincing a manager to hire you be any less challenging than the job itself? It's up to you to prove your value to every employer you meet. Employers won't figure it out for themselves," says Corcodilos.

Amen to that.

Now, go out and make your own luck!