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So get your past titles right.

You can explain your duties and level of responsibilities on the form.

Immediate Supervisor

Give the first name, middle initial, last name, and title.

If you’re worried about the reference, contact him (Do 43).

Regarding a present supervisor, write:

“Please do not contact without my consent.”

Description of Job

Concisely summarize your most significant duties and highest responsibilities.

Use keywords if you’re applying online (Do 7).

Job Duties Enjoyed Most or Least

Be careful here. Enjoy everything except poor work ethic, poor performance, or poor results.

Reasons for Leaving Prior Jobs

Use something like “Resigned for better position” instead of “Quit.” Or “Reduction in force” instead of “Layoff.”

Never “Fired.” You just need to call your former boss to discuss an alternative (Do 64).

Gaps between Jobs

If they were more than five years ago, don’t worry about being wrong. If within the past five years, be accurate on dates, and give some plausible reason other than “unemployed.” Perhaps what you were doing (other than instanting).

Consent to Contact Present Employer

Always answer this, and always answer “No.”

Otherwise your present employer could become your past employer instantly.

If there’s space on the app, write:

“Please do not contact my present employer until mutual interest has been established.”

Personal and Professional References

Be sure to complete the names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses (Do 63 and Do 64).

Consent to Verify Information

You can answer this way:

“Yes, except for present employer.”

Don’t forget to sign the app (if you didn’t already).

That’s how you instantly pass through the professional screen.

To an instant interview!

Do 91: Using Lead Cards for Instant Referrals

Let’s start by taking your mental memos and writing them down on lined index cards. Each lead card should include this:

Name of lead

Title of lead

Name of business

Address of business

Office phone number of lead

Home phone number of lead (if known)

E-mail address of lead

Activity to get interview (date resume sent, dates of responses to follow-

up calls, and so forth)

There are three basic ways to develop job leads. In order of priority, you should:

1. Look in the local Yellow Pages under whatever heading you like. Then call the target employer and speak with the receptionist or someone in the sales, marketing, public relations, or human resources department.

You can even cold call into the department where you’d like to work.

This is so easy, so much fun, and so effective that any other way is strictly for inactive interviewers.

2. Let your personal contacts (friends, relatives, acquaintances, former supervisors, and former coworkers) know.

3. Use an Instant Availability Announcement (Do 12 and Do 13).

This is a marketing campaign, and you’re the product. You want exposure, so work up a deck of at least 50 cards. Delete cards as needed, but 50 hot leads is the absolute minimum at any time.

Contact every lead at least once. Discard and replace the less powerful, less influential, and less aggressive ones. Then select those you want to call on a regular basis and do so around every other week.

Many jobseekers divide the cards into:

Offerors

People who have direct control over who’s hired (not merely intake interviewers who screen).

The routine calls to offerors are specific, since you’re asking them for an opportunity to assist in any way you can.

Direct Referrals

People able to arrange interviews with offerors. This includes human resourcers.

Indirect Referrals

People who know many people but are not able to arrange interviews with offerors now. This includes people who are working at places that might be hiring soon.

Here are the kinds of questions to ask direct and indirect referrals when you call:

Who do