There is often nothing more frustrating than spending many hours each day searching for a job only to find that your hard work doesn’t seem to be paying off. Even though you’re probably aware that executive job searches can take some time, you might feel frustrated by the amount of time it seems to be taking.

While you can’t guarantee a perfect job search, you can certainly refine and renew your approach and your resume to keep it on track. If you find that your executive job search is beginning to stall, keep it going with a few of these tips.

Make Some Unique Adjustments to Your Resume

If your traditional resume isn’t pulling in the attention you want, you may have the wave the red flag at the bull. In other words, you may have to say some things that may get a recruiter or employer’s attention. For online applications, this can mean using a more attention-getting title. Rather than simply restating the title of the position you’re applying for (i.e. “Executive Sales Director), you might use one that draws people in (i.e. “Executive Sales Director at 123 Trading Led Team to Record $1 Million Revenue in 2008”).

Another unique resume strategy would be to list the logos of past (or current) employers on the left-hand side of your resume. Logos and snapshots from your college(s) and any awards you’d received during your collegiate career are also valuable. These images display a powerful look at your background and qualifications, and make a large impact without words. You might also vary the system that you use to deliver your resume–if you use email often, try using regular mail, or vice versa.

Adding A Smart P.S. to your Cover Letter

In a continued effort to stand out among your competition, you might also consider adding a “p.s” to your resume’s cover letter. One reason is that in this section you can add one or two tidbits about yourself that the employer may not know. But an even more important reason is that, if nothing else gets read in the cover letter, the “p.s” will – in fact, it may draw the employer in first then intrigue him enough to work backwards and read the entire cover letter.

So what do you say in your “p.s.”? You may take a chance and namedrop. For instance, you might say something like “Call me ASAP to find out why Dr. George Rudford from Impressive University believes that I’m the best sales executive in the country.” You might just want to add a personal statement that explains why you’re a good executive hire for the prospective employer’s business.

Broaden Your Contact Scope

After years as an executive, you may have a healthy list of contacts to connect with as you seek job opportunities. However, if you haven’t had much success with your contact list in your job search, it’s time to make a few additions. LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, and similar professional networking websites can help you find millions of like-minded professionals in any field.

A dragging executive job search isn’t the end of the world, it just means that you may have to light a fire – better yet, a towering inferno – under your own you-know-what. In almost no time at all, you’ll take your executive job search to the next level, as long as you’re able to push yourself and stay creative and motivated.