There's a job hunt. And then there's a campaign. You want to do the second one.

Job hunters are on the hunt. They hunt and peck around on their computers for openings. Maybe they get lucky. Mostly, they don't.

Campaigners patiently plant seeds, make strategic plans, stay calm and focused and when the moment is right, they spring their well-thought-out campaign. Eventually it pays off big time.

It's a lot like running a political campaign. If a candidate wants you to cast a vote in their favor, you have to believe they're the right person for the job. So the candidate must know inside and out why they're the right person and be smooth as silk in the telling — all the while building trust and leaving you feeling good about them.

Here's an example, if you can put politics aside for a minute. Stanley Fish, a law professor at Florida International University, wrote in the New York Times recently that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is running a model presidential campaign — disciplined, prepared, thoughtful, calm and on message. With these concepts in mind, here's how you can run a model campaign to get your next career position.

BE DISCIPLINED

This applies to two areas: what you're trying to accomplish and how you spend your time getting there.

You must know why you're doing what you're doing. You need a clear objective posted where you see it every day so everything you do supports that objective.

Let's say your objective is to find a position where you can contribute your skills, background and interest in audio production to a company that creates newscasts, documentaries or educational videos.

Knowing that, you focus on activities that support your objective and develop five kinds of lists: