3 Strategies for Landing That 6-Figure Job

Imagine for a minute that you have $150,000 to invest. You have 2 choices about who will manage this investment: a guy with a great-looking Web site claiming a solid track record of investing for his clients—or a guy you know who drives a luxury car, lives in a huge house, and just funded his kid’s Ivy League education. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather give my money to the guy whose abilities I’ve seen for myself.

Many people believe that once you’ve reached the stage of earning a six-figure salary, companies will always be falling all over themselves to offer you jobs. In some ways, the opposite is actually true. Companies are much more hesitant to hire a $125,000 candidate who might not work out, than they are to take a chance on a $40,000 employee. How can you overcome this challenge to land a six-figure job?

A polished, professionally written resume
This one is a no-brainer: If you want a company to pay you at the highest end of their salary scale, your resume needs to be far better than the average one they examine. Investing in a resume written by a certified professional reflects a commitment to quality in everything associated with your name. Your LinkedIn profile and other professional communications should all reflect your being a high-caliber employee as well.

Product demonstrations (when the product is you!)
It’s easy to get busy with your everyday duties and blow off opportunities to connect with new people outside your company. However, it’s crucial to get—and stay engaged—with your professional network. Whether this involves presenting at local or national conferences, participating in alumni activities with your university, or offering your expertise through a professionally themed blog—the more people who have direct exposure to your skill set, the more people who will be willing to take a chance on paying you the big bucks.

Electronic portfolios
With video capabilities being a standard feature on many cell phones and digital cameras these days, it’s easier than ever to demonstrate your skills to potential employers. While your audience at a conference workshop may be only 20 people, setting up a camera in the back of the room allows you to share your expertise with anyone who can download a file. Envision your polished, professionally written resume with hyperlinks to articles you’ve written and videos of presentations you’ve given. Next to being good buddies with the CEO, it’s hard to compete with that.

It’s a fact of human nature that everyone feels safer going with someone they already know. If you don’t already know anyone inside your target company, put yourself in a position where you’re likely to meet them—or send them some examples of your work as an electronic introduction to your abilities. Once a company feels like they know you, they’ll have no problem with showing you the money!