Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach
Situation: You are a mid level professional and looking for a new job. Infrequently, you find job listings that are a strong match for your skills and qualifications. You want to find more leads but do not know how.
Once you identify a company and apply for a job that is a match for you, find out who their competitors are. Competitors have similar organizational structure. If Company A employs a Software Engineer then it is likely Company B does as well. It is likely that Company B will require similar skills to Company A. Company B will not always need to fill a job opening at the same time as Company A but it is helpful to identify who might have a future need for your services.
– Go to Hoovers.com
– Type in the name of the company that had a job that was a match for you
– Scroll down and look at the “Top Competition”
– Look up job vacancies on the websites of competitors and on Indeed.com
– Put yourself in a good position to be seen by the competitor by networking with people in the company now.
– See who you know that works at the company via Linkedin.com.
– Ask to be connected to the department manager of the area that is likely to hire for the position. It is easier to establish a relationship when you are not asking for a job.
– Prove your professionalism to the manager and you will gain greater consideration for a vacancy when the time is right.
Spending the time to understand who else may have a need for your skills, will allow you to find many more appropriate opportunities. Instead of waiting for the opportunities to come to you, you can go out and find them. By thinking like a salesperson, you are more likely to find the job that is ideal for you.
About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com