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I only got my two most successful jobs, each of which opened up a number of different opportunities because I contacted the right person at the right time. One job was in a genetics lab and the other was a science journalist, and neither was advertised beforehand; I got them both after sending many, many emails to many, many people explaining who I was and why I wanted to work for them. (On the second, they even created a new position especially for me.)
I’ve always considered both of these jobs lucky, but according to a recent one Harvard Business Review article Written by the Seattle newscaster Starla Sampaco, the approach to contacting potential supervisors you want to work for – even if they are not currently looking for a specific position – is worth your time and will likely give you an edge over other applicants.
According to Sampaco, the information is through Interviews with young professionals, these are some of the steps to follow when looking for a job this way:
Find your timing right
Both of the jobs I described came about because I was just contacting my future boss – after they considered hiring someone but before they started their search. That way, I presented myself as someone who was proactive and wanted the job, which is usually a good sign for a potential employee. I’ve also made their jobs easier by reducing the time it takes them to find a qualified candidate.
Timing is difficult, of course, so in many cases it will involve reaching out to someone who you believe will need your skills while realizing that you will be going to make a lot of misses before hitting a target. In general, I noticed that with the right timing it is more about recognizing when a company and / or a project is changing, whether a new initiative is being launched, a new group of employees has been promoted or whether someone has left another position or during the annual internship season.
As I have learned as a freelancer, it helps to ask questions at regular intervals. Just because they don’t need you now doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. You don’t want to be overly aggressive; Emailing a potential employer several times a year saying they might need your skills in the future is usually helpful, but emailing a couple of times a month is too much.
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As hard as it is to deal with a rejection, keep in mind that doing so will likely result in emailing a number of potential bosses who may appreciate your skills but just aren’t able right now are hiring someone. It’s hard to get a lot of no’s or just hear nothing until you finally contact the right person.
Identify the key players in the company
When we think of hiring decisions, we usually think of human resources. In practice, while all hiring decisions ultimately have to be made through HR, the person who actually looks at the applications and makes decisions about who to interview or hire is usually someone else – the hiring manager.
However, what you really want to do is identify the head of the hiring manager, as he often has great power in shaping the staffing and setting the hiring priorities. In small companies this is usually the founder or a manager, in larger companies it is often a director or executive.
As Sampaco Remarks,
“Your goal is to make these people your advocates and eventually refer you to the hiring managers on the teams you are interested in. Key people have the power to connect you, and if they do, the chances of getting an answer are far higher than if you stretched out coldly. ”
Key players also have a broader knowledge of a company’s organization and future plans than lower-level employees. The work a department does on paper can be very different from what it actually does, while future plans may require different skills than you might predict. The right person will have a clearer idea of where your skills might fit.
Nail your briefing
A Briefing is an informal meeting between a job seeker and an employed specialist, usually so that the job seeker can learn as much as possible about topics related to career opportunities and corporate culture. This is an opportunity to find out what the culture and expectations of a company are like and what the daily reality of a particular job might look like.
Reaching out to a potential boss and asking for a briefing is an opportunity to find out about the company and the potential work there. As Sampaco advisesDuring this meeting, it is important to show interest in your area of activity, ask questions about your experience in the company, ask how the position you are looking for might fit in, and ask for tips on how to apply. If the interview goes well, ask if there are any other people in the company you should speak to.
Connect to the Settings Manager
Once you have a better idea of the company culture, the vacancies available, and the positions ahead, it’s a good time to finally get in touch with the hiring manager.
When you get in touch with them, you want to introduce yourself, provide a brief description of your skills and benefits to the company, and clearly describe why you want to talk to them and what you would like. I hope to get out of the conversation.
In the freelance world, we call these letters of recommendation, the purpose of which is to get in touch with a hiring manager, let them know that you exist and are good at what you do. Also make it clear why your attitude makes life easier for them – if there is one thing bosses like, it is an employee who makes sure that things run more smoothly in everyday life and that the boss looks good at the same time.
At this stage, it’s important to remember that job hunting and hiring decisions can be fluid. So instead of asking to be considered for a specific position, it is better to explain why your skills are so valuable to them and ask about any future opportunities. Sometimes the job you are actually hired for can be very different from the job you thought you would be considered for, which can be a good thing. The weird and wonderful thing about careers is that you never know what opportunities there are or what you are capable of until you ask about them. So make sure you ask.
