Have you been looking for a job for ages? Been to all the online job boards? Do you routinely check the help wanted section every morning with little success?

In this age of downsizing and layoffs, you are not alone. Many people start each day with a cup of coffee in one hand and a pencil in the other while pouring over the employment section of the paper.

Even though it is frustrating and you wonder if any job out there will really be for you, you trudge on, a folder full of resumes in your arms you get in the car for a long day of driving around and delivering them to prospective employers.

If you think the only way to find a job is to have connections, you may be partly right. With such a demand for employment many jobs never make it to the paper. How can you compete?

One way to get the word out and perhaps find some job opportunities that might not otherwise present themselves is to network. Tell friends, family and acquaintances of your job search. These people may have businesses or friends with business where you can be the first one to get an in when a position opens up.

They may also hear of someone who is hiring and keep you updated on opportunities you may not otherwise have heard about. Their personal referral can also make an impression on the employer in your behalf.

Another way to get the jump on other job candidates is to hook up with the recruiting mangers at companies you are interested in. Write down a list of companies that you would like to work for. Then call them and inquire about open positions. Make sure you talk to the human resources manager or the person who is in charge of hiring for your type of position.

Once you know who that person is, you can send a resume directly to them. Write a cover letter that expresses your interest in the company and why you'd like to work for them. Follow up with the person several days later. Just tell them you are making a quick check to make sure your resume arrived and ask if there are any positions that may become available.

If there is nothing right now, let them know to expect your call in a few weeks. Sometimes positions come up out of the blue and by staying in touch with the hiring manager you might luck out. This is a fine line, however, as you want to stay at the front of their minds without seeming to be a pest. No one wants to hire a pest.

This method of finding out about jobs s not a big secret. If you're not taking advantage, someone else will so dont feel like you are being too pushy or cheating. You can't afford to miss out on making yourself known to employers before the job posting is made public.