I once knew a guy who would apply for about 100 jobs and get two callbacks. First of all, those are not great odds and they tell me something is not right here. But second, what was even worse was that after receiving the callbacks, he promptly ended his job search. He would declare, I know I’ll get one of these jobs so I don’t have to look any further. Ok, well, maybe he wouldn’t walk around, sword in hand, making these statements boldly; but that’s pretty much what he was saying by abruptly stopping his job search. This wasn’t that long ago and I know you’re thinking who would do such a thing in this economy? Here are some practical tips for a successful job search:

1. Just because you get a call for an interview doesn’t mean you can stop your job search.

2. Just because your interview went well doesn’t mean you can stop your job search.

3. Unless you have a firm offer on the table that you’ve accepted, completed new hire paperwork, and have a start date, don’t stop your job search.

4. If you are unemployed, about to be laid off, or in a bad situation at your current employer; try to find a job LIKE A JOB! A 40-hour-a-week job.

How can I spend 40 hours a week looking for a job? There are ways my friend! Contrary to popular belief, applying online is not the only way to find a job. Behold! A list of 6 other ways to find work.

1. Spread cards. After staying home for the first year after my daughter was born, I needed a proactive way other than applying online to find a job. I was lucky enough to know EXACTLY what I wanted to do when I got back to work, so this is what I did. I printed my resume and cover letter on professional resume paper and sent them to every employment agency and recruiting office within a 45-mile radius of my home. I got more calls back from this than I did the online application.

2. Door to door. Although it takes more time, leaving a professional resume in person still speaks volumes. (Don’t try this if you’re an executive.) Professional and entry-level job seekers go crazy. Even if they don’t have a “We’re Hiring” sign in the window, you’d be surprised how many people don’t post jobs. In fact, I read an interesting stat the other day that said 75% of jobs don’t even get posted! On top of that, when I left my full time position to run the business full time, the Regional Vice President asked me how we could fill the position without posting the job or dealing with a HUGE influx of applications. It wasn’t worth the hassle to them. WOW, have you ever opened my eyes to how things have changed? And it should be yours too.

3. Network. You always hear him say: it’s not always what you know, but who you know. That’s the truth! Good example, when I left my position, my sister-in-law was actually looking to go back to work after 3 years of staying home to raise her children. She didn’t know anything about HR and certainly wasn’t at a HR management level, but they decided to make the role more administrative than administrative. management and offered him the position.

4. Social networks. I never really believed how fruitful this could be until I made the switch and got really involved with LinkedIn. Now I am addicted. I love the site, I have 48 groups that I am in and have connected with professionals that I never would have had if I hadn’t joined. In fact, due to my profile and active participation, I have received multiple offers to publish my content and now you can read my blog and articles about my career on the net. Not to mention, several organizations have contacted us to have our samples in their software programs and website databases. I’m telling you, IT WORKS! Be smart and get a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a LinkedIn account. Keep it professional and make them work for you.

5. Get your resume on the web. Not just on INTERNET job boards! I meet clients every day who take advantage of technology and post their resumes and cover letters online. They have their own websites and their own professional brand. This is not only innovative and visionary, it’s cool and it works!

6. Get creative! The sky is the limit, I know one person who printed his resume on flyers and went around store parking lots putting his resume on cars. Crazy or genius? She had a job that same week.

There are also many other avenues to pursue in your job search, as I said the sky is the limit. So be creative! Think of finding a job like marketing a product or service. If you wanted to sell that product or service, what would you do? Now think about that in terms of what you can do to promote yourself and your personal brand!