We all have heard of great companies we would like to interview with – but how to go about it when they never seem to advertise an opening?
The fact is, in this economy, great companies don’t need to advertise in order to find top-notch employees. So how do people get interviews with those companies? It sounds impossible, right?
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Wrong! As a matter of fact, it is even easier than one would think, because you do not have to compete with hundreds of other people who are applying for the same position.
The key is networking!
Growing companies are always on the lookout for top talent. The trick is to get their attention and show them how you can help them make money, save money, or solve a problem.
As a headhunter since 2003, I have been showing my private clients exactly what to do in order to get in front of these great companies and land an interview. This post will help you do the same.
Think about the role or title you are interested in and reach out to the person two levels above that position.
If you go to the immediate supervisor, they may not have the power to create a position. And, worse, if you come across as more qualified than them, they could be intimated by your skills. At that point, it is unlikely they will want to bring you onboard and potentially make themselves look incompetent.
Their boss, on the other hand, will see how your skills and experience can positively impact the company- making money, saving money, or changing a process to solve a problem. Two levels higher often means that person could actually create a position if it makes sense financially.
Photo by TienDat Nguyen on Unsplash
Companies that have less than 500 employees are a good place to start. If your title is Director or above, go straight to the President or CEO. Most companies have a handful of decision-makers who have the power to create an opening and sign your paycheck. They can, and often do, hire someone without “having an opening”, so these are the people you want to target.
The smaller the company, the more nimble and proactive they can be- resulting in a faster interview process than the giants who often have bureaucratic tendencies, and a bunch of hoops to jump through to get the interview.
Related Post: Reverse Engineer Your Job Search
You can find these leaders through networking and by developing your network through places like LinkedIn or lists of companies in your target location.
Then, follow up with them by showing them how you can help them make money, save money, or solve a problem.
Not sure what problem you can help them with? Ask them!
Networking is all about having conversations with people in the industry.
Photo credit: Christina Wocintechchat with Unsplash
Ask open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes/no. Ask questions about problems in the industry and how they are positioning themselves to overcome those problems. Ask what technologies will be changing the industry.
This pandemic is a great place to start. There have been so many changes to the work environment, government mandates and regulations, upcoming different technologies- how are these changes affecting their company and the industry in general? Ask your network where your skills may fit in – not just with their company but with others in the industry.
Companies prefer to hire someone who came through a referral rather than sorting through hundreds of resumes of unknown people who may or may not be what they claim on a resume. Networking helps you get your resume in front of the decision-maker, instead of in a pile that may be sorted by a computer and never even get seen by a human.
Happy networking!
If you would like more help in networking or creating your resume so it gets attention, click here https://calendly.com/pam-161/dare-2-dream-bigger-30min to schedule a 30-minute strategy session to discuss how we may be able to help you.
PAM WINEHOLTZ
Pam is a career and certified life coach with nearly two decades of experience as an executive recruiter. She founded https://www.dare2dreambigger.com to help professionals find new careers using the skills and experience they already have.
Working with small, privately held organizations to large worldwide publicly traded companies employing as many as 25,000 people, she thoroughly understands the hiring process of organizations and the nuances of what they look for when hiring.- even when there are no openings posted.
Her methodology is to reverse engineer the job search.
Pam uses the skills learned as a recruiter to teach clients how to identify companies that can use the skills and experience they already have to get interviews and job offers. Her services include instruction on how to write resumes that get attention and get interviews, networking skills, best practices when interviewing, and compensation negotiation so her clients earn more without leaving any extra perks on the table. And for clients who are not sure what they want in their next chapter, she has exercises to uncover insights and passions to get you started.
These techniques are proven to work across all industries.
Pam offers 1:1 coaching and group coaching with online access to a resource library of videos and worksheet that can be used to create a strategy to find a new career you love.
To set up a complimentary 30 minute session to discuss your career options click on the calendar link https://calendly.com/pam-161/dare-2-dream-bigger-30min
