There are times when you may want to take a proactive stance when job hunting. Rather than scour want ads searching for a job for which you are qualified, you can create your own ad and let employers come to you. The employers your ad attracts already have an interest in your specific qualifications. They've read your ad. To create an effective job-seeking ad, you need to plan carefully and sell yourself. With a little forethought, you can write an ad that could land you a dream job.

Consider the type of job you would want. List the specific qualifications you have that make you the ideal candidate for this type of job; that list will help you refine your ad to make use of the limited space you will have to convince prospective employers to pick up the phone and give you a call.

Begin your ad by introducing yourself as you relate to the work you're seeking. Tie your introduction to the type of work you want.

An example: Experienced chef seeks full-time head chef position at an upscale restaurant.

Setting your ad up this way immediately tells potential employers what you're looking for, and if a reader is looking for someone with your skills, he will be drawn to your ad.

Follow the introduction with a brief synopsis of your experience and any degrees or other educational achievements you have. You should not supply dates or information that will be detailed in a resume. Just include one or two bits of information to help showcase your skills.

End the ad by stating your contact information (typically a phone number or e-mail address), with the best time to contact you, and telling potential employers a resume will be available upon request. The entire ad should run between five and 10 lines.

Place your ad either in a local newspaper or a local newspaper in a city where you may want to relocate. Many newspapers also feature online classifieds. Web services such as Job.com allow you to place your resume online as well. Craigslist is another option. There is no charge for jobs wanted listingz on Craigslist.