Resumes--should you always include all relevant job experience?

In the past, this would have been an easy question to answer.

With the unemployment rate in the United States nearing ten percent, the job market is more competitive than ever. What should you do if you've been sending your resume out, applying for lots of jobs that you're well-qualified for, but you just aren't getting any takers?

Ideally, none of us would ever be in a position where we would make less money than we deserve. And certainly, no one wants to take a new job for less than he or she was making at their last one. But if you've been on the job market for a while without having any luck and you don't have another source of income, you may want to consider taking a position that you're overqualified for.

I know, you're probably yelling at me through your computer screen right now at the mere suggestions. But just consider for a moment that the positions you're really qualified for, the one's you really want and you've been targeting with all those resumes you've been sending out, are going to the guys and girls who are already working for the employer you're applying to.

Companies often feel compelled to advertise their available jobs to the public, and even to collect resumes, but this doesn't mean they have to hire any of those applicants, or even interview any of them. More often than not, the person whose going to get your dream job is the one who's been working for the company for a while. They're a known quantity, and the company knows from experience what kind of work they're going to get from them. As qualified as you may be, you're still an unknown.

I don't say this to upset you--only to offer one possible explanation as to why you may be lacking the results you may be expecting.

What should you do? How can you get that job of your dreams?

1. Network--every day, in every way. Whomever you talk to in a day, make sure they know you're on the job market, and what you do. You can also join your local chamber of commerce, usually for a very low cost, and you can meet lots of local employers at the chamber-sponsored networking events.

2. Try attending a career fair. This can be a great opportunity to get a face to face meeting with those elusive HR professionals and project managers.

3. Work for a temp agency for a while. This will give you the chance to show potential employers what you're made of and see you in action.

4. Take a lower position with the company you want to work for, and work your way up. If you're well-qualified, you may be able to move up very quickly. And, this way YOU can be the person on the inside that is chosen to fill that next higher position. (This is the option that may require you to "dumb down" your resume a bit. This is understandingly bothersome, but if you don't do it, the employer will likely suspect that you won't be happy or perform well in the position.)