Then spend some time researching the company. No matter what it is you want to do. After all, the applicant who knows more, generally wins. That would be second.

Then work on your own elevator pitch. This is the first 60 seconds of the interview. Make this crisp, engaging, with nothing left to chance. You have t-h-i-s amount of time to get on the right track so it is this important. Third.

Then work on your no-kidding, perfect cover letter. This is not a copy either, the winning cover letter is concise, but relates how you think you can help them. It will say more about you than your resume. Fourth.

Only then would I allow you to work on your resume. HR will spend an average of 20 seconds on it, yet you struggle, have your friends review it, and obsess over it. The key is to do one so you can change it easily for each job you want. That would be fifth.

My friend J.T. O’Donnell is a recognized career coach, nationally syndicated career columnist and genuine thought leader in the career coaching space. The kicker text or slogan to her blog Careerealism is genius. Hers: Because every job is temporary. JobDig’s: Because Everyone Should Dig Their Job. Both are lots better than Monster’s slogan: We Will Overwhelm You With Un-Qualified Resumes. That is another story.

She had an interesting post the other day about escapism at work. Her point is that escapism is alive and well as evidenced by our fascination with all things reality on TV and the rise our unique ability to mind-escape our often tedious and thankless jobs. An excerpt:

The definition even goes on to attribute escapism with the creation of a whole host of industries including, fiction literature, music, sports, films, television, role-playing games, pornography, religion, recreational drugs, the internet and computer games. Yep, escapism is alive and well in America, just look at this article by the satirical genius over at The Onion, or the fact that Dancing With the Stars got the highest ratings last week with a whopping 21M+ viewers. (FYI – I was one of them.) It’s a fact: escapism is on the rise.

I guess the good news (and potentially a strategic bit career advice) is that jobs in escapism industries will be in good shape. So, if you are looking for a career with growth potential, I suggest targeting one of the fields above.

I have never thought of my own mindless wanderings as being something close to escapism, but now I have a better name than A-D-D for it. Instead of not being able to focus, I am using this “skill” to figure out new creative solutions to as-yet ill-defined problems.

Since we all do this…tell me YOU don’t daydream at work!!…JT is asking us for our best escapism career choice. In other words, if you could, what would you do? She is holding a contest here and is soliciting ideas. (I smell another book, JT) The winner gets $1,000 worth of JT’s coaching.