If you recently started your job search online, but you are not finding the kind of positions that you really want, you are not alone.
The first thing most people do after deciding to make a career change is to look for job postings online. They search job boards like CareerBuilder, Indeed, Ladders, and other specialty boards to find companies that have openings posted. Job boards work well for new graduates, people who want to do the same job they have been doing, or for people in industries that need to hire a lot of workers quickly.
But, for the rest of us who are ready to make a change, we will have better success by networking with companies to solve problems with the skills and experiences we already have.
So, how do you find these companies and organizations that will value your skills?
If you are not exactly sure what you want to do in a new career, that is ok.
A lot of clients have reported feeling stuck because they don’t know what they want — but, based on some of the crummy jobs they have had, they know what they don’t want. That is ok too.
Knowing what you DON’T want can be helpful in determining what you DO want.
As a headhunter since 2003, I’ve created a list of some tips that will help you find great companies and get hired — doing meaningful work where employees feel valued and are happy.
Reverse engineer your job search
Instead of looking for companies that are advertising job openings, and trying to make your skills and experiences fit into a job description, DO THIS INSTEAD: Find companies/organizations that already employ people with the type of skills and experience you have, which can help them solve a problem.
In most industries there are a couple of big companies, a bunch of mid-size companies, and some solo or very small businesses of 1 or 2 people.
Large companies have well-known names and more resources, but the hiring process can be long. Also, these companies often have lots of people applying to work there. They do not need to be flexible. Some are bureaucracies.
Mid-sized companies can be flexible, and you are more likely to meet the decision maker who can bring you on board and sign your paycheck. Typically, they are quicker to make decisions, and are more flexible than large companies. Mid-sized companies are the best place to focus our efforts and offer the strongest opportunities to get hired.
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According to the Small Business Association, over 95% of businesses in the USA have less than 500 people. These companies are where most people work.
Build a list of companies you are interested in. Large companies are a solid place to start our list and will lead us to the medium-sized companies which are more likely to hire us.
Step 1 – Google the company name and look for employees who work there. Sometimes the company will list their leaders and team members on their website.
Step 2 – Start a spreadsheet with the company name, a contact name, notes for yourself, and copy and paste a link to the information. This makes it easy for you to find the information later.
Step 3 -Look on LinkedIn for people who work at the company and have similar skills as you. Pay attention to their title — other companies and competitors may use the same title. You can search LinkedIn by company name, by title, by a person’s name, and by location.
Look for people at other companies with the same title or similar experience. What companies do they work at? These companies have hired people with your type of experience. Add that company name to your list.
Step 4 – Google competitors of the companies you have listed. You can use the search bar and type “competitors of (name of company).”
Step 5 – Go to LinkedIn and search for the competitors and employees that work there. Add them to the list.
Step 6 – Think about former co-workers. What companies did they go to/? Add those companies to your list. If you had a good relationship, ask them who else they interviewed with and what other companies may be able to use your skills.
Step 7 – Who are the companies that are competitors of those companies? Add them to your company list.
Step 8 – Look at your current co-workers. What companies did they work at before coming here? Those companies may hire someone with your experience too, add them to the list.
Once you have a list, start networking and reaching out to those people and companies to get insight on how you can help solve a problem. Companies are in business to make money or save money and nonprofits and government positions are mission-based. Show them the value you bring to the table and the problems you can help solve. Companies will often create a position to solve a problem, even if they do not advertise an open position.
Start networking and find that dream job you always wanted!
I am writing a quarterly blog on finding a new career you love, so stay tuned for more on this subject. In the meantime, for more tips, follow me on social media https://www.dare2dreambigger.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/dare-2-dream-bigger or click here https://calendly.com/pam-161/dare-2-dream-bigger-30min to schedule a discovery session if you would like help to find that amazing new job!
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
