Take Command of Your Career

To take command of your career means to keep control of it and not simply rely on other people to deliver on your behalf. Here's how you can do it.

Steps

Decide on a goal and direction for yourSwitch-Careers. Do you want to do your current job in a more advanced way? Do you want to work in a different industry or different field? Do you want to do or to manage?
Don't plaster your resume on every single Internet job board you can find. Hiring managers and recruiters start wondering why you can't get a job if they see your resume all over the Internet.
Make sure you understand what sort of job you are looking for and focus your job search rather than simply firing off dozens of resumes and waiting for the calls to come in.
Don't apply for jobs you aren't qualified for. This upsets hiring managers and Be-Desirable-to-a-Recruiter and wastes their time. It shows that you can't follow instructions or don't read job descriptions. On the other hand, do apply for jobs that are related to your experience, even if the job description doesn't match your experience completely.
Use recruiters to supplement your job search but don't rely on them to get you a job.
Learn. If you would like to take your career in a particular direction, take classes in that area, read books and articles on the subject, and seek out tasks in your current job to help you gain experience.
Talk to others in your target field, company or industry. Ask them what they like and dislike about their work and let them know you are looking.

Understand what a company is looking for when you read over job descriptions. Look for "must have" skills and ensure you highlight in your resume that you have the "must have" skills and any "nice to have" skills too.
Try to get as much activity going on in your job search as possible. Speak with people who can positively influence your job search, apply for jobs yourself, work with recruiters, attend job fairs, let your family and friends know you are looking for a new job, etc.