How To Find A Job - The Steps, How To's, And Recommendations For Your Search
You have decided what you want to do and where you would like to do it. You have completed your resume. Your LinkedIn profile is detailed and articulates what you do. Your other social media is tidy and positive. You have sought counsel from friends, colleagues, acquaintances. You have identified associations, organizations, and social groups with which to network. Now it is time to go out and find that position.
First thing to know: rejection is okay! If you aren’t getting rejection emails, notes saying thanks for contacting but don’t have time to meet, then you aren’t conducting your search. Getting a job is a job itself. Think of finding a job a lot like being in sales; you have to determine who to contact, do your research, contact hiring authorities, track your work, and keep pushing. Salespeople are rejected constantly, it is part and parcel with reaching-out to people. You are selling yourself, so handle your search like a Business Development sales expert would handle prospecting and soliciting accounts.
1 RESEARCH Companies, Hiring Managers, Emails, Phone Numbers, LinkedIn
Before you begin, select a place to put your data together, such as a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool. You can use a spreadsheet, free versions of popular CRMs, or other apps. Here is a very simple Google Sheets template that can be a start. Hubspot offers a version of their CRM for free. Some people can use Evernote as a way to track their work.
You are looking for:
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Companies in the industries, and the locations, in which you are interested.
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Hiring Managers and Human Resources Managers for these companies, including names and job titles.
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Contact Info, including office phone, hiring manager email, hiring manager profile on LinkedIn.
Identify the kinds of companies you would like to work for. Find resources that will share lists of companies in the industry in which you would like to work. Trade show exhibitor lists and association member lists are good places to start. Let’s use organic fresh produce companies as an example:
You may also find directories or websites that feature searchable information. Here is one for fresh produce companies, including organic ones: www.producemarketguide.com Add the company information to your CRM.
Next, search for these companies through a search engine (Google, Bing, etc.) and LinkedIn. Find the company website, locations, office phones, and other data. Some company websites include company contacts (usually in the About or Contact sections); you can populate your CRM with this info.
Search for hiring managers on LinkedIn. You can search by company name; many companies have a company page. Near the top right area of the company page will have a link, “see all __ employees on LinkedIn.” You can read through those employees, or do other Boolean or keyword searches to find additional contacts.
Research information on the company, such as articles about their organization and their leaders in trade publications. When contacting the managers, mention you read about them to show you have done some research and taken an interest in their company.
Using Google’s Job Search Features: Here is a great article on Forbes on using Google to find a job: How To Use Google's Job Search Feature
Research on Job Boards: There is more on job boards below. But you can search job boards to see if the company you are interested in is hiring. If you see that the company is hiring, you can apply through the job board. Or, you can visit the company website to see if they have a career page or job board, and apply there. Since you are doing your research, you can contact the company leaders directly to inquire about the open position with a phone call, email, or LinkedIn connect request.
Next Level Tip: Want to do the best research you can? Learn some simple Boolean strings and operators. Build a Word or Google Doc of various boolean strings and search terms as go-to’s when doing your research. This can help take your job research to the next level. Boolean strings are keywords, connectors, and terms used in certain ways to get the results you want from search engines. Simple example: (“sales assistant” AND "job" AND “Dole”) Learn more:
www.workable.com boolean article
www.recruitingtools.com boolean assistant
www.socialtalent.com beginners boolean
www.booleanblackbelt.com basic boolean
2 CONNECTING with Email and Phone
Hiring managers are busy. It will most likely take a few tries to connect with them. Reach out through as many avenues as you can, calling the company, emailing them if you can find their email, and using connect requests (judiciously) on LinkedIn.
Regarding Calling: Hiring managers in some industries, such as tech, advertising, etc., may frown upon receiving phone calls. Many managers won’t answer their line if they don’t recognize their number, and may not take the time to call you back if you leave a voicemail. Some managers believe that calling them is unacceptable; they are so busy and swamped, they don’t want to be bothered and feel people should email first, then speak second. Get to know the protocols of the industry in which you are interested to determine if calling is acceptable. Some people may feel that other avenues can be acceptable connections, such as Facebook, Instagram, Github, and other platforms. Agribusiness and many food industries don’t necessarily frown upon receiving phone calls like software and digital advertising industries will. In fact, if you are interested in agribusiness and food, do call and use the phone. It will show initiative on your part! Calling can also be used in conjunction with email, connect requests, and social media outreach. You can mention in your voicemail that you will be sending an email, or have sent a connect request on LinkedIn.
Templates and Scripts: Create templates for emails and LinkedIn contact requests that you can use over and over again. You will edit the templates to fit each individual you are contacting. Make your emails to the point. Share your interest in their company and products or services. Inquire if they have any hiring needs. Ask for guidance and advice if you are looking for an informational interview. There are several ways to approach hiring managers, try different approaches and styles. Read articles and how-to’s online. Create a basic phone script. This can be helpful if you feel a bit nervous about calling people. Don't use them literally all of the time, but they can provide a good structure to your call.
Keyword search examples: copy and paste the following phrases into Google or Bing, then create your own to find more information:
how to write an email to a hiring manager
3 CONNECTING with LinkedIn
LinkedIn has become the largest job networking platform in the U.S. Think of LinkedIn as a professional or business Facebook. Recruiters, Human Resources departments, and hiring managers use LinkedIn CONSTANTLY. They reach-out to people daily. Having a detailed LinkedIn Profile is a must.
Side note: I had a conversation with a candidate who was a recent college graduate and at the beginning stages of their career. The candidate shared a reticence in contacting people they didn’t know on LinkedIn, thinking the protocol for interaction was similar to that on Instagram, Snap Chat, or other platforms used largely with friends and family. Please know: if you are on LinkedIn, you can reach out to people you do not know for business purposes. Developing a relationship as a seller to potential buyers, inquiring about job opportunities, inviting people to contribute to a blog or group, inviting people to be a part of an association or participate in an event: these are common reasons to cold-contact someone on LinkedIn. The recipient may not reply or may mark you as someone they don’t know, but cold-contacts are common. Recruiters, salespeople, and hiring managers do it all of the time!
Connect Requests: You have gone on LinkedIn, researched the company, and found a Director, VP, Controller, etc. who looks like a hiring manager or someone who can guide you in your search. You can send that person connect request. Always add a note in the connect request to share why you are connecting. Try different wording, angles, approaches. You must be brief: connect requests are limited to 300 characters total. Here are some very basic starter examples. Write your own, and mention something about the person or their company in the request. Try several different approaches and styles.
Hello __________,
Read your sales leadership at Dole Fresh, and saw you went to Cal Poly. I’m a recent Poly grad, and would like to get into produce sales. Very interested in fresh food, and think sales would be exciting!
May we connect? Appreciate any advice or guidance.
D.J. Stornetta
Hello __________,
Read your work at Ready Pac and your produce industry involvement. Saw that your company was seeking a Regional Sales Manager. I currently handle several accounts in the region and think your Bistro Bowl line is terrific.
May we connect? Would enjoy discussing, thanks!.
D.J. Stornetta
Once you send a connect request, a “pending” icon will show up on the connect request button. The recipient can either accept or reject the request. LinkedIn will notify your email when a connect request has been accepted. You can also check that profile in a few days / week. If that button still says “pending,” the user has neither accepted nor rejected the request. If it says “message,” that means the recipient rejected the request and you can message them.
Once you get a connection, follow-up with a message. Share your interest in a position with the company. If you are interested in a specific position that is being advertised, ask if they are the hiring manager and if they have time to discuss.
Ask For Referrals: If the hiring manager doesn’t have a job for you or isn’t interested in your background, ask if they know someone who does have an opening, or who would be interested in your background. Getting referrals can be very helpful, and a key component to your search. Always ask if they know a company or a person who is hiring, or who could at least talk to you!
Send Thank You’s: If a hiring manager replies to you, always reply with a thank you email or message. Show your appreciation for their time or whatever guidance they provided. Even if their response is that they aren’t hiring now, or they aren’t interested in your background, always send a thank you.
4 JOB BOARDS
Applying through job boards can be a hit and miss. Large companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (systems and databases that receive and hold your resume), which can match keywords in your resume to their open positions. Depending on when you reply to the ad, your resume may not be reviewed if they have received other resumes earlier that appear to be a match. Also, if your resume does not have certain keywords or specific information, ATS databases or HR teams could miss your resume, even though you could potentially be a great match for the position (another reason to make your resume detailed and specific!).
That said, job boards are a viable tool. If your search is not confidential, upload resumes to Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster, CareerBuilder, etc. Make sure your LinkedIn profile looks good; LinkedIn is a job board, too, and you can apply with your LinkedIn profile instead of submitting your resume. Within the job boards, you can select options to receive emails and updates so you can get new postings quickly and apply.
Make sure you read all of the job description information and submission requirements carefully. Some may list specific steps to take and information to submit. For example, if a university posts a position, you can apply through the ad where you see the opening. Or, you can search through the university site to find the position. Some university sites will ask candidates to fill out information and create a profile. You can be proactive and create your application profile instead of waiting for a university response requesting you to do so.
If your search is confidential, meaning you are employed and don’t want work getting out you are looking, you can create a profile using an alias on job boards to receive updates on new postings to your personal email.
A Step To Consider: If you are really interested in a posted position, you like the company, the location, the opportunity, one step you may consider is matching your experience and accomplishments directly to the job description. Copy the description and paste into a Word or Google Doc, and under the areas where you have experience and accomplishments, write in what you have done. You can delete the other areas where you don’t have expertise or aren’t relevant to this exercise. Most job ads allow only one file to be submitted. You may add this information to your resume in one file, then submit through the job ad. Or, you can send along with your resume to the HR and hiring managers if you have found them through your research. Just an idea!
Here are some additional articles and information on finding a job:
https://80000hours.org how to get a job
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/
https://www.glassdoor.com how to search for a job
Keyword search examples: copy and paste the following phrases into Google or Bing, then create your own to find more information:
(how to find a job)
(how to change careers)
5 INTERVIEWING
This is a massive part of the job search that deserves its own section. Meanwhile, here are some search ideas to learn more about interviewing:
Keyword search examples: copy and paste the following phrases into Google or Bing, then create your own to find more information:
(how to interview for a job)
(tips to do well on a phone interview)
(how to do a video interview)
best interview techniques
6 ADDITIONAL TIPS
Forbes contributor, agency owner, and recruiting leader Jack Kelly have written several articles and books on finding a job and hiring. He has a company that can provide additional insights and help at WeCruiter: https://wecruitr.io/
Jack's Book on Job Search and Interviewing
Jack's Article on a Scorched Earth Job Search Strategy
Recruiting leader and influencer Lou Adler has a book for job seekers and hiring managers:
The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired