MBA graduates often take home some of the best salaries in America. Starting grads can earn more than $100,000 right out of school. But what if you've been slaving over papers, reading dozens of books and finally you're about to earn that degree...and you have no new job in sight?

Based on the career counseling calls I'm getting, that is the case for some of the MBAs seeking to advance their careers. Either their current employers are not promoting them or the new MBA grad just hasn't found a new job yet.

Last month, I taught a full-day job search seminar for the MBA students at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU). The MBAs sat through eight hours covering the best job-search techniques, the formula on resume writing, ways to create impressive cover letters and we spent a lot of time on improving their interview techniques and how to answer those tough, tricky questions employers like to ask. MBAs have some work experience, but combining the past experience and applying the new degree and grabbing employers' attention is not easy in a tough economy.

Here are a few job-hunting tips to help you succeed in landing a new six-figure job.

• The MBA Resume. You've got 15 seconds to get an employer's attention. Your degree is an impressive credential, so be sure to have it displayed on your resume and in your cover letters next to your name, i.e. Jack Ryan, MBA. Outline past experience - paid and unpaid. Use action verbs to highlight your accomplishments and the results you achieved. Top skills employers seek from MBA grads include: management, research, organizational skills, communication, problem solving, and team collaboration. Be sure to demonstrate initiative, since it's your potential that a hiring manager is trying to gage.

• Acing the MBA Interview. You may have learned a lot of theory in school but employers wonder how you will you apply that knowledge on the job. Expect to get asked tough questions. Many employers use the "situational" or "behavioral-style" of interview questioning, which asks you to give specific examples of positive and negative work situations. The interviewer uses this probing style to determine how you have performed in the past. These questions often start out with "Give me an example," or "Tell me about a time," or "Describe a situation." They seek details about your past abilities and performance. Then, the interviewer rates each response to determine and predict your future performance with her company. Advance preparation is essential to not get tripped up with these tricky questions.

• Target MBA recruiters. Many larger companies have special internal HR recruiters who handle MBA applicants. Finding them is not that easy. A good way to try to uncover who these people are is to try a sweep site.

Copyright 2010 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.