Take a job that may not be exactly what you wanted and work your way up.
Senior Project Manager, IT - (City withheld for privacy), Texas, United States
In this working environment, you may not get the job you want. It is in this circumstance that you should take a contract position and work within the job category and prove yourself. In a year or more, you can prove your skills and value to the company and actually get more money than you would have had you just been hired at your desired salary.
Negotiating a starting salary
Senior Project Manager, IT - (City withheld for privacy), Texas, United States
I once got a job offer that was $5000 less than what I asked for. I asked the company if there was any way they could meet my salary requirements. They ended up staying with their original offer, but gave me a $5000 signing bonus. So for at least the first year I got the salary I wanted. Sometimes companies have more leeway with the signing bonus, since it is a one-time thing, than with the salary figure.