Persistance and frequency pay off. Go to as many job fairs and recruiting events as possible. I just returned from a regional National Association of Colleges and Employers day-conference. I kept asking the same question all day: With a 300% increase of applicants, how do employers figure out who they will interview and eventually hire. The response was overwhelming. Those candidates that attend career events (job fairs, mock interviews, information interviews); and, go to business mixers (see your local Business Journal for dates and locations) show employers you are serious about your job search. I hadn't realized that professional recruiters record every name of every person they network with. They go back to their offices and enter names, skills, and areas of interests for every person they talked to about jobs. When your application comes up in their system, they already know how many times they have made a contact with you or heard your name.

Another resource for recruiters is LinkedIn. I was amazed at how many recruiters mentioned using it to find qualified candidates. It is free form them and it is free for you! How to best use a media networking resource: create your profile. Then do searches for the types of companies you want to work for. Example: Search for American Family Insurance and see how many people are linked. BTW I don't work for American Family.