You are looking for a job, and you have your eye on a particular company, one that you really like and would really like to work for. How do you go about getting noticed, getting your foot in the door? There are a number of ways you can attract their attention. Here are a few.
1. Resume and cover letter
Always keep them up to date. You never know when an opportunity at your dream company will arise, and you want to be ready. Your resume should be tailored to the particular company you are applying to. Have a hiring manager or someone with a proven record of hiring success review your resume.
2. LinkedIn
Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date as well. Use it to tell a compelling story about your career, your skills and your accomplishments. It should give some sense of how your career has developed and what kind of person you are. LinkedIn is a big resource for recruiters, so do not neglect it.
3. Research
Use LinkedIn to research background information about your dream company. Learn about its mission and values. See if you have any connections to the company.
You can use LinkedIn to reach out to people at the company – recruiters, hiring managers, company leaders – to introduce yourself, chat with them and possibly arrange an interview.
4. Applying
After you have all of your materials ready – cover letter, resume, LinkedIn profile – enter them into the company’s hiring system. If there are no positions available, talk to the human resources department to find out if there is any way to keep your materials on file.
5. Networking
Using things like job boards really won’t help you find the job you want. The key is networking. Reach out to friends and colleagues to see if they know anyone at your dream company, or if anyone they know has contacts at the company.
6. Social media
Follow the company on its social media sites and interact with people at the firm who post on social media. You can ask questions, discuss mutual areas of interest and other professional issues. This is another way of making connections at your dream company. Often, when companies have job openings, the first place they advertise is on their social media sites.
7. Investigate
In this day and age, many employees have their own blogs and YouTube channels. Do some snooping and find out if any employees at your dream company blog or tweet or otherwise have a presence on social media and make connections here.
8. Informational interview and job fairs
These are other ways to make connections at your dream company. Call and ask if you can schedule an informational interview with a company representative. While there you can hand out your resume or business card, and follow up with email and on social media.
Find out if your dream company is participating in any career fairs or having any open houses.
Opti Staffing is your reliable partner in the job search. We have the know-how in working with employers and preparing job candidates to find the right job for you. Give Opti a call today