Question: I have 10 years of experience, but I'm confused about what it takes to get a good job nowadays. Companies seem to be incredibly picky. I've read in some of your columns that the old ways don't work anymore. I believe that. Can you please give me a summary of your tips for effective new ways to look for the right job?

Answer: Here's the "Ask The Headhunter" short course in job hunting. It combines interview preparation with a powerful method to investigate and qualify companies. Start with the first company you're interested in.

1. Find out exactly what work the company needs to have done. This is usually different from what the job description says and what you’d read in a want ad.

2. Figure out which of your abilities a company will find valuable. This is different from knowing what you are good at. Try this: List your skills. How would each be valuable to this company? (You must do this one company at time.)

3. Determine what specific problems and challenges the company faces. How will you address and tackle these problems and challenges in your interview?

4. Be prepared to demonstrate how you will do the work profitably. (You must take the initiative to figure this out, because interviewers do not typically ask about this.)

The best source of this information is people who know the company — employees, customers and vendors. That’s the key, talking to insiders. And that brings us to selecting companies. This approach is a lot of work. Any company you target as a possible employer must be worth the preparation, or you'll drop it like a hot potato.

Select companies that you believe are the shining lights in a particular industry — companies you’d love to work for. Then let your preliminary research tell you which ones are really worth pursuing.

Finally, the people you meet will introduce you to still more people who are close to the company. Among them will be the right managers. And guess what? This is exactly how headhunters find good job candidates. You're just working in reverse. Try it. meet the manager.