How to fast track your job search?

When jobseekers decide to scout for their next career move, they want to switch quickly & in order to avoid creating as wide a job search funnel as possible they generally do not prefer creating a list of target companies. As a executive resume coach, I always advise my client to adopt the following strategy  when they are testing job search waters:

1. Evaluate who is your target audience & create a list of target & dream companies where you wish to apply.
2. Understand their pain points/problem statements to address them & present yourself as a perfect fit/candidate to solve their problem/ leverage on untapped market opportunity.
3. Creating & listing target companies will also help you potentially screen out those companies who are not a right fit your skills, value, working philosophy & career objectives.
4. The list will also help you to have an essence of who in those companies are you connected professionally & who you should connect with to get insider information on the roles which you wish to target in those companies.

The following roadmap will help you in shortlisting & creating a list of companies you wish to target:

1. Adopt a 3 pillar job search approach: Based on your skills, expertise & experience shortlist the job functions( for example if you are a finance professionals & have worked both in financial planning & treasury, narrow down your job search by selecting the sub-function which you want to take up in your next career move), Industry, location(country/city) & levels(role). Many executives who have worked for long/have vintage experience are capable of holding many titles. Job seekers should start the search with location or industries & then narrow down the search by shortlisting one or two locations or industries as the case may be & associated with one or two titles(roles).
2. Create a list: Create a list of top 15 to 20 companies that can potentially offer roles you are targeting/ can be a good fit based on both  skills/experience & culture. You can search top 20 companies on the internet for your preferred industry. You can also look at company directors on business generals or local chamber of commerce. These are ideal sources for finding companies for particular industry in particular locations.
3. Perform detailed research: Make concerted efforts to learn more about the company- its history, financial health, products, services & policies. Know more about the company’s work culture by connecting & interacting with current & ex employees of the company. This will help you get a chance to picture yourself & evaluate if the culture & policies align with your career & life goals. Check the company’s review on websites such as glassdoor. Also check the “ about us” section on the company’s website that details their corporate ethos, value & mission. Read them to see if their statements resonate with you. Additionally, dig further to see if those who work there really live it.
4. Tap into your connections: Connect & network with your connections who work or have worked with the company in the past. Connections can be close friends, an acquaintance, an acquaintance of an acquaintance or someone who went to your Alma mater before or after you. Consider approaching all of them, one by one. Also check out the company’s page on LinkedIn to see if you have someone in your network who works in the company.
5. Find more contacts: After having exhausted your connection list/those in your professional network, start connecting with folks & professionals around at the company who can help you knock the company’s door. Beyond LinkedIn, consider exploring other social media platforms such as facebook, twitter & instagram. Also the Database of University alumni can provide plethora of information. Connect with career services or alumni office & doing quick search on fellow alums & grads on LinkedIn.
6. Reaching out to connections:Be upfront of what you are looking for. If you are eliminating/shortlisting companies in your target list, it is ok to ask & get a feel about what the company is like. Once you have created list of companies & target roles, consider the following outreach strategy,
   • Ask if they can connect you with the hiring manager
   • Request to get the name of 2 to 3 folks who would be helpful to speak with.
   • Ask if they can submit your resume via employee referral scheme

As the founder and executive resume coach  at Sushant Kumar Ventures, I offer customized executive resume and LinkedIn profile writing services for modern day job seekers. Sign up here for our services/free consult.