You don’t stomp on the grapes and then drink the wine next week. Similarly, with your executive resume writing strategy, LinkedIn profile and overall career portfolio, you don’t stomp on a few words and begin interviewing for your dream opportunity next week. Quality messaging takes time to develop and ripen.

So, while you are waiting for your message to mature, here are a few things you can do to capitalize on all that job-search angst:

1. Send a thank you to two or three of your favorite leaders / managers.  Identify why you valued each one as a coach or mentor, including how you learned and grew from your experience working for or with them. Request a LinkedIn recommendation from at least one of those managers. Simplify the request for them, offering to send them  a link requesting the referral, as well as an outline of specific achievements, traits and/or abilities you wish them to reference. If it makes sense, you may even draft the recommendation for them.
2. Research three target companies that mesh with the resume story you’ve been authoring, noting any and all articles, press releases, financial reports (check out Yahoo! Finance), etc. Google them, but don’t stop there; cross-reference specific trade publications and other lesser indexed information that requires some digging beyond the search bar.
3. Research your industry beyond specific target companies. Identify and assess your customers and begin a virtual conversation with them. Grab a digital WSJ subscription and follow the publishers, journalists, columnists, industry experts on Twitter;  read deeply within your industry target, product focus, customer focus and beyond. Check out BizJournals. Selectively and politely expand your connections on LinkedIn, based on discoveries.
4. Do one thing that makes you uncomfortable. Post a status update to LinkedIn. Reach out to a client advocate who may be a perfect job referral source, helping you land your next role. Schedule a personal makeover and/or new headshot. In other words, show some humility and realize that while you may be at the top of your game in your current or most recent CXO or VP role, you may still have room to grow and change.

The executive resume writing strategy and executive job search game, as with nearly every other economic arena, has become hypercompetitive and digitally based. Staying current with trends, while maintaining a personalized, white-glove executive approach takes time, energy and an open-mind.

It also requires taking that first step, and then the next one, and the next one, with patience, vigor and hope.