You’ve identified your target market to include every company within the geographic limits of your job search who could possibly hire someone like you. But companies aren’t enough; you need to find people within those companies to talk to.
Getting into conversations with the people who have the authority to hire you is the central goal of all your job search strategies and execution. It is the most effective way to get job offers – and the activity that most job seekers want to ignore, because talking to strangers seems very scary. Why? You talk to strangers all the time!
First, identify whom you want to talk to and how to find them. The people you want to reach as quickly, directly, and often as possible are people holding those titles most likely to have the authority to offer you a job: Typically these high-value target hiring titles are one to three levels above your own and in the same department or functional area. Your main goal in your job search every day is to identify and get into a conversation with anyone who holds any of these target titles at any and every company in your target location.
Corporate recruiters.
Corporate recruiters are active in the recruitment and selection cycle, and they have a direct relationship with the hiring authority. They also have a stake in closing searches in an efficient and expedient way.
Titles one to three levels above your own.
Approach people with titles one to three levels above your own in departments that have ongoing activities with your department. These people are the peers of the titles that will hire you and because of their continuing relations with your department are likely to know of needs and/or make referrals.
Titles similar to and one to three levels below your own.
Why? Because these folks either have jobs in the departments where you might like to work, or are looking for jobs in the same overall area themselves.
Titles of people in other departments or at other companies.
With these folks, you’re aiming for titles of people in other departments or at companies that had ongoing communications with you and your title.
If you put these titles together, you should have a list of at least ten useful job titles that represent the people who have the best chance of knowing about good-fit jobs for you, making the right introductions, and/or of hiring you. These are the people you want to get into conversation with as promptly and as frequently as possible. They are the folks you want to develop networking relationships with; they also represent the titles of job postings you’ll find and go after.
What do you think? I’d love to hear from you. Please comment below.
