1. Leverage relationships.
Differentiate yourself from other job candidates by leveraging your relationships and contacts within the organization and among those who influence the organization.

Impact the hiring process by working your contacts. You may know someone within the organization, but you may also have contacts that work with the organization, such as outside PR or finance professionals.

Use LinkedIn to find possible connections to the organization and work your network to gain differentiation.

2. Patience.
Companies aren't hiring if layoffs are pending. To hire you, the timing must be right politically, financially and based on personnel.

Successful candidates will remain patient and see this challenging situation from the view of the hiring manager and his superiors.

Become their partner in this process and be ready to jump in when the timing is right.

3. Non-traditional opportunities.
One option is to enter a company or industry with a "lower floor" opportunity and work your way up.

If you are overqualified for a position, use your expertise and reputation to climb the company ladder as the economy improves.

4. Résumé optimization.
Just as search engine optimization (SEO) has become a competitive advantage in the past decade, you must optimize your resume with the right keywords.

Hiring managers are using online and electronic resumes more than ever before. The right keywords can make your resume stand out.

But failing to have those keywords can leave your resume lost in the shuffle.

5. Research critical issues and solutions.
It's just common sense. Successful candidates will know and address the challenges of the target company.

The Internet makes it easy to learn basic background information about an organization. But you also you need an understanding of their issues and challenges.

Do your homework by listening to shareholder presentations and reviewing annual reports and other publications, including newspapers and industry blogs. Then identify those issues and challenges in your interview and position yourself as the solution.

This strategic approach will put you in a strong position.