•  Executive reports are being used more and more. •  What can an executive report do for you? •  What to include in your report.

Looking for an alternative to the tried-and-true resume and cover letter approach to your job search? If so, an executive report might be just the right solution for you.

Executive reports provide essential how-to information that is interesting, enlightening and moves the reader (your prospective employer) to action (calling you). No matter your profession or functional responsibilities, everyone has some special knowledge and expertise about how to make things run smoother, better, easier, more efficiently or more profitably. Your executive report shares this information.

Jack Chapman, president of Lucrative Careers in Wilmette, Illinois, and author of Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute, pioneered the concept pf special reports. Ten years ago, the concept was revolutionary. Today, it holds increasing acceptance, particularly as part of a job-search-savvy executive's career marketing portfolio, which includes a resume, various cover letters, assorted thank-you letters, an executive profile, and now, an executive report.

An executive report works extremely well, because it:

• Emphasizes your contributions.
• Positions you as an expert.
• Strengthens your credibility.
• Is presented in an interesting format.
• Has substantive information and value -- often money-saving, money-making, business-enhancing or time-savings advice.

Most importantly, unlike a resume that screams "I want a job," an executive report communicates a candidate's ability to contribute to the job contact. Your contacts read the report with their attention focused on their own businesses and the ideas you have presented to help them make or save money. They are not distracted by your job-search needs.

The primary elements of an executive report include:

• A benefit-oriented title and, frequently, a subtitle.
• An introduction.
• Business tips that are beneficial to the reader.
• Personal information on each page.
• Professional binding.

The days of the generalist manager are long gone in most companies. Today, more than ever, companies seek to hire specific talent to manage specific operations, solve specific problems, respond to specific issues and manage specific projects. The most valuable thing you can do in your search campaign is brand yourself by positioning yourself as an expert.

Here are a few examples of executive reports written by other senior-level candidates. Use these titles to determine which topic would be most appropriate for your executive report.

• Top 12 Leadership Strategies for Successful Turnaround and Profit Revitalization.
  
• Meyers' Executive Guide to Launching New Business Ventures: From Start-Up to Profit in Only Eight Months.
  
• Leading 10 Management Activities to Achieve World-Class Manufacturing Status.
  
• A Simple Low-Tech Manufacturing Solution that Saved $100,000 without Increasing Overhead.
  
• Eight Biggest Mistakes TQM Programs Make and How to Avoid Them.
  
• How to Profit in the Shift from "Sick Care" to "Well Care."
  
• Three Simple Things You Can Do Tomorrow to Double The Effectiveness of Your HR Organization.
  
• Four Simple Keys to Better Sales That They Don't Teach You in Sales Training.
  
• Gaining A Strong Foothold in Asia: Five Cultural Marketing Realities to Master.
  
• Eight Ways to Systematically Build Customer Loyalty (and More Business).
  
• The 10 Tiny Chinks That Can Bring Your IT Department to a Screeching Halt (and How to Eliminate Them).

Special reports are not meant to replace a resume. Rather, they are used as an auxiliary tool, when appropriate, to clearly communicate your expertise within a particular function, activity or discipline. Because executive reports immediately position you as a subject-matter expert, you gain a tremendously competitive advantage over other candidates. You have clearly communicated your knowledge and expertise, provided a prospective employer with new and useful information and significantly enhanced your credibility. If you have not yet done so, start working on your executive report today by asking yourself, "What is my top area of expertise and contribution?"