As the economy slowly yields more jobs, it's important to be ready. Focus your search on a fairly narrow area, specialty, and range of companies, advises Kemba J. Dunham in The Wall Street Journal Online. "It's a better use of your time, and likely to be far more effective, to concentrate on those areas where your strengths and experience give you an edge, and those jobs and companies that are likely to need more workers in an upturn," Duncan writes.

Duncan suggests that once you've identified what you want to pursue, make sure your resume is updated. "Identify 15 or so of the companies in that industry you've targeted and start tracking them so you're up to date on what's happening on the inside," Duncan writes. "Check out professional organizations within that industry.

Duncan notes that targeted networking is also key. She quotes Cincinnati resume writer Louise Kursmark, who notes: "Making phone calls and setting up meetings is tough, but that's what really pays off." Duncan advises reaching out to recruiters you've previously connected with to remind them of your skills and capabilities.

"Treat every meeting like an interview, and be mindful of all the common-sense steps you take in such a situation," Duncan writes. "That includes learning beforehand what the hiring manager is looking for and how your own skills fit."

When sending your resume as an e-mail attachment, don't give your resume the file name "resume," advises Jobseeker News. "Recruiters get 100s of resumes a day, so if you name your resume attachment "resume.doc" or "myresume." the recruiter's computer will automatically assign your resume in numerical sequence to the already thousands of resumes in the computer. So your file will now become "resume58742.doc" or something similar. Name your file with your first and last name and the word "resume." Your file name should look like this: "johndoeresume.doc". That way the recruiter can find faster you in the system, and you won't become "just a number."

Next in our continuing series of job-search tips for mature workers from Certified Career Coach Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A.:

No. 8: Next, Where to find a job, which is based on what you want to do and you can get. Ask everyone you know to start a network on your behalf for support and job leads. Tell your network members what you want to do and where you'd like to work. Get organized with lists of names, telephone numbers, job titles, email addresses, and any other information that helps you in your job search. CONTINUE to build your referral network. Make appointments to TALK about your campaign for a new job. DO NOT ASK FOR A JOB. Get people working for you and build your referral list. Talk, listen and act! ....to be continued ...