With Deb Koen Careers consultant

Scientists are among the most educated people on the planet, yet many fail to use effective employment strategies. Uncovering opportunities and jockeying for position requires more street sense than academic ability. So focus on your goals and use the following guidelines.

Take a multidimensional approach. Move beyond passive job-seeking to more active methods: face-to-face networking, searching the Internet, checking scientific-association journals and getting to know recruiters. For the best use of your time, try all of these from the start.

Keep it live. Spend most of your time networking or meeting potential employers in person. The Internet offers job postings and employer information, but the decision to make an offer rests with human beings. At a career fair one drug-company recruiter said his firm received more than 1,000 applications a week through its website. A referral by an employee gives you much better odds of landing an interview. That's equally true in academia, clinical settings and small enterprises.

Structure your time. Schedule time each day for your search. In the initial preparatory phase (self-assessment, employer research, CV/resumé development) you can work day or night. But the next, contacting phase consists of phone calls and meetings that are best held during the working day.

Go the extra mile. In a tightened economy, most job seekers are covering basic etiquette. To stand out, follow up every networking call and job interview with a personal letter or e-mail, reinforcing your interest and highlighting your potential contributions.

Work on your image. Apart from your scientific expertise, nothing carries more weight in winning you a job offer than the way you present yourself in writing and in person. Begin with a polished CV or resumé. Then develop speaking points about your goals and accomplishments that convey who you are and what you have to offer. Practice these with a colleague you can count on for honest criticism. After you've made selected employers aware of your background and skills, it's your communication that will close the deal.