First off, let’s define jump so that we are both on the same page. When I say jump, I mean to make a substantial change in your job or salary. Jump does not mean getting a minor promotion, it means leaping ahead to a position or salary that you only dreamed about.

You need to stop dreaming and start doing. Evaluate your current situation (salary, job, etc) and decide why you are where you are. Have you been resting on your laurels without taking any chances? Have you gotten an average raise over the past few years? Are you dissatisfied with how much you are making?

Evaluate your resume

You first need to look at yourself as a prospective employee and decide if you would hire yourself for a high-paying position. How does your resume look? Do you have sought-after skills or is your resume just a boring summation of your past work experience.

Create a resume that makes people say, “I have got to get this person in here.” If you do not have an attention-grabbing resume, you will not make it in the door.

Evaluate your people skills

The next major step is to evaluate your communication skills. When you speak with people, do you shake hands firmly, look directly into their eyes, and speak clearly and concisely? If not, you need to work on these skills until you have honed your communication skills to a fine edge.

Employers do not want an individual who mumbles when they talk and who refuses to make eye contact. They want a vivacious, energetic individual who will start contributing from day one. It is your job to turn yourself into just such a person. Work with your friends or hire a professional but no matter what, get the skills needed to impress people when you talk to them.

Get additional training or experience

The final step in jumping ahead is to look at your actual experience and training and decide if it is enough to qualify for the higher paying jobs. If you are weak in your applications experience, then take courses from Microsoft, Oracle, or SAP. If you lack business experience, then attend seminars or take classes at a local university.

Overall, look at yourself as a total package and decide if you meet the minimum requirements to take on a higher-paying or management position. If not, then get off your butt and go get the experience or training you need to meet and exceed those requirements.

Scott Brown is the author of the Job Search Handbook (http://www.JobSearchHandbook.com). As editor of the HireSites.com weekly newsletter on job searching, Scott has written many articles on the subject. He wrote the Job Search Handbook to provide job seekers with a complete yet easy to use guide to finding a job effectively.