Q: I wanted you to know that I have a job offer in hand and four others on the way. Moreover, I have three interviews this week and another mailing going out to refill the queue. Thanks to the system in Kate’s books, I understand that filling the pipeline is critical. Also, it keeps me from getting too emotional about any one opportunity. – Russell

Kate: It’s always a pleasure to hear success stories, and yours is especially instructive, Russell. Some people might think you’re crazy to send a resume mailing when you have offers and interviews, but what you have figured out is that one enemy of the job searcher is to be a bit of a success. The best-selling business book “Good to Great” put it this way: “The good is the enemy of the great.” You have a good offer, and with a contented sigh you sit back and wait to see what transpires. What wise job searchers know is that most job possibilities don’t work out; that’s why one of the mantras for my Five O’Clock Club clients is, “Always have six to 10 things in the works.”

Dale: Even if a good lead or interview turns into a job offer, if you’ve stopped everything to “see how it plays out,” then you have just the one offer to play with. You’re faced with a single choice: Is this job better than nothing? That’s when the decision often turns bleakly emotional – when your brain, already unsettled by being out of work, gives rein to thoughts such as: “What if I turn this down and never get another offer? We’ll lose the house! What an idiot I’ll look like!” Thus, a decision becomes a capitulation.

Kate: In contrast, when you press on until you have several offers in the works, you have much more interesting questions to answer, including, “Which job best positions me for the future?”

Dale: Not to mention the negotiating leverage. Nothing is more attractive to a buyer than knowing there are other buyers. I once had the joy of being the object of a bidding war, something I wish for everyone reading this column.

Kate: Yes! So let’s take up the topic of how to generate a stream of interest/offers. Attached to Russell’s letter were his “before” and “after” resumes. His “before” is the traditional list of jobs and accomplishments, requiring the reader to pull out the relevant items. However, in the “after” version, the relevant items are presorted: The most important accomplishments are summarized at the top of the resume, using bold type and italics. Instead of having information that you hope the reader might find, you make it impossible to miss, even at a glance.

Dale: In this Time of No Time, the first impression is often the only impression. Once you choose your impressions, you just keep making them, finding new target companies, day after day, filling what marketing people call the “sales funnel,” building interest and, eventually, options.

Kate: Good versus great: A great search might take weeks or months of extra effort, but the right job can save you decades in getting to your ultimate career goal. Let us know which great job you pick.