The job market will get better and 2011 will see a lot of good people hired. Am I Nostrodamus? No. But like a good roller coaster ride, it's time for the ride to head upward.

Your most critical challenge in the coming year is to get your resume - you - to the top of the pile. And if not the top, then you must most certainly be in the top five.

But before we go any further, let's be clear that I am no guru. I have no secret stash of know-how that will get you hired. And I will not pretend to the contrary. I am simply someone who has done some hiring, seen a lot of resume and been through the grind a few times myself.

So, let me share some of what I have learned (for what it's worth), and perhaps you can share some of what you have learned too.

To begin with, your objective is not to craft a masterpiece resume. I understand that a whole industry exist dedicated to the concept of creating the perfect resume masterpiece for you. But really, why do you need the perfect resume? Frankly, a used Saturn will get you to Boston from New York about as well as a brand new BMW.

Don't get me wrong, please. A resume needs to be well written and needs to paint a compelling picture that you are the person that can fill the employer's needs. And that is the key. It is the employer's need and wants that matter.

The pitfall with focusing on getting that resume beautiful and perfect is that you run the risk of losing sight of what matters - the employer's needs.

The resume is a tool, a vitally important tool, but a tool nonetheless. It's not the tool, but rather what the company (where you want to work) wants and why you are the answer that matter. Your objective is to...wait for it...get hired. And it is not necessarily about getting your resume into the top five, but rather, getting you there.

It seems to me that there are at least 3 paths to getting to the top of the pile.

The first path is to precede the resume with a compelling cover letter. Many applicants focus their energies on the resume and reduce the cover letter to an afterthought. It shouldn't be.

Your resume is a your version of past accomplishments from which you hope a hiring manager will intuit future performance - kind of like stocks. You shouldn't leave such an important step to a hiring manager. Think of it this way, the resume is your statement of features. You want to have the hiring manager visualize the benefits of hiring you. The cover letter is the bridge between the features and benefits (sales lingo).

You should have a good resume behind a great cover letter.

The second path is to actively work at networking. Networking is vital because it takes you along the six degrees of separation path. It is also a force multiplier. For those reasons and more, you must begin networking.

But here is a warning. You must become or be a giver. You cannot be a user. No one will truly help a user. Contacting all your friends, family, and former colleagues for information or help with names will tag you as a user. Frankly, they already know your situation. They would help if they could. You forcing them will not help.

Instead you would be better off networking by becoming a volunteer. Your paradigm for networking should what you can contribute versus what you can get out of it. It is an important distinction.

Finally, you must follow up and follow through. Some think follow up is waiting for the phone to ring after an interview. Follow up is an active verb. Sending a brief thank you letter after an interview that recaps and reinforces your interest in the job will put you on the top of list.

So write a good resume and get it to the top with a great cover letter, by networking with a giving heart, and with active follow up.

Now write your best and most compelling cover letter, with great advice, guidelines, and examples at http://www.LandingOnYourFeet.com. While you're at it, sign up for the newsletter with free EBooks and resources to help you. Loaded with insightful articles to help you find a job, this is where to go for commonsense, straight shooting info.