the secret to a fast, successful job search: how to research & target employers
TRANSCRIPT
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• Regardless, you know that any serious job search
requires planning, time, work...and a list, of course.
• In fact, you can’t engage in any meaningful search
until you’ve identified employers for whom you
would consider working.
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Not only will making this list help you do a better job of organizing your search, it
will help you manage your expectations
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Revisit Your History
• Now think about all the people from your past (whether it
be school or work) with whom you have stayed in touch or
with whom you could reconnect without it being too
awkward.
• Most of them are probably working for someone and all of
them certainly know people.
• Ask them for information about the company for which
they work, about competing companies in their industry,
about industry resources and for permission to use their
name if the opportunity to do so arises.
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Take a close Look at a Map
• Focus in on the area where you currently live and/or on
the areas to which you would consider relocating.
• Taking commute times into consideration, imagine a circle
around this area enclosing the geographic region you will
focus on.
Now your task is to find the businesses in your target
• If you are using Google Maps you can use the search tool
to visually pinpoint relevant companies on the map.
industry within this circle
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Print Media
• But we’re not talking about only looking at the “want ads” in your local
newspaper
Read trade journals and magazines that focus on business or
the economy to stay abreast of “what’s trending” in
commerce.
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• Begin by finding the people who work at/have worked at
companies you have already identified as targets.
• Now look at their profiles. Where else have they worked?
Learn what you can about those companies and if relevant,
add them to your list too
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Regional, State and National Publications
• Chamber of Commerce Directories
• State Directories of Manufacturers
• National Trade & Professional Associations
• Ward’s Business Directory of Major U.S. Private Companies
• Martindale-Hubbell (legal profession)
• The Macmillan Directory of Leading Private Companies
• Standard and Poor’s Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives
• National Association of Colleges and Employers
• National Employers Association
• Employer Associations of America
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Online Job Boards and Job Search Services
us.jobs careerbuilder.com indeed.com dice.com
www.usajobs.govmonster.com snagajob.com
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College/University Placement/Career Services
Offices And/or Your Alumni Association
These types of resources provide you with information you can currently use and help you
expand your network too, a key component of any list building.
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Now Make a Short List
• Research the employers that are worthy of making your list.
• You may want to even take the time to prioritize these in the order that they interest you.
Once you’ve got a general idea of what geographical or professional area you’d like to work in, identify the
companies that populate those areas and research them rather than simply list them for later contact
• Researching company websites can give you useful information and help you condense
the list of potential employers that you’ll leverage your network to access and actually
contact with the intention of applying for a job.
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ANY STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS WILL
NOT ONLY MAKE THE SEARCH MORE EFFECTIVE, IT CAN LOWER
YOUR FRUSTRATION LEVEL AS WELL
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Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and most
respected professional résumé writing firms on the internet,
Distinctive Career Services, LLC (dba Distinctive Documents).
Since 1996, Michelle has empowered thousands of professionals with
résumés that get results and win jobs fast. Get insider résumé writing
tips that you won't find anywhere else at her website. Go now
to www.distinctiveweb.com
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Specialists…Since 1996www.distinctiveweb.com
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