Earlier this year I participated in the Job Hunter’s Education and Networking Event. The event, sponsored in part by Integrity Career Transitions, was a free event that offered participant a chance to learn and practice networking skills, as well as explore opportunities with a few local employers. There were also a few career coaches on hand to offer resume critiques and career advice.

Over the course of the day, I must have talked to over 80 participants, answering questions about job search and interview strategies and providing resume recommendations. Here are a few of the most frequent tips I offered career hunters.

1. Trim the fat off your resume. Do not list every single thing you have ever done on your resume – especially if it’s a task that you hate. If it is a part of your job now and you know without a shadow of doubt that you don’t want it to be a regular item on your to-do list, why would you advertise it on your resume as it it is something you enjoy doing it. Get rid of tasks and responsibilities that are irrelevant to the job you are applying for. The fact that you copied and sorted receipts eight years ago isn’t important if you are now looking to work as a technical writer or as a recruiter.

2. Stay current with what’s happening in your field. Career savvy women understand the value of being engaged and the importance of understanding the big picture. Staying abreast of what’s happening outside the walls of your company helps you understand the unique opportunities and challenges of your employer. If you are not currently connected to an employer, that doesn’t mean that you can detach from what’s happening. In fact it’s even more critical to keep your eyes and ears open in order to better position yourself among the people you are competing with for the opening. Or better yet, you may be able to use the knowledge you gather to help create a role that solves a specific problem your potential employer has.

3. Leverage the internet to find information. There is so much information available via the web that it would be shameful to not have enough information about the company and position you are targeting or interviewing with. Learn to use sites like Hoovers.com, and Vault.com to get background information on the company. Vault.com even lets you see comments and interviews with current and former employees, including information about the interview process. Use LinkedIn to find people connected with the company you are targeting and reach out to them for information and recommendations on who can help you get in the door.

4. Work your job search strategy from a place of confidence – not fear or desperation. Just like bees and dogs smell fear, the people you encounter on your job search sense fear and desperation and its an immediate turn-off. The first impression that you make stems from your appearance and your confidence: it’s the strength of your handshake, the open and direct eye contact, the smilegenuine smile that you flash with that initial hello. Remember, they’ve already seen something they like about you or they wouldn’t be wasting their time interviewing you. Just like you have a need for a job, the company has a need for a talented employee, so your interview process is about creating a win-win situation. Just think of all the value, the creativity, the innovation, the hard work, you intend to invest in them.