Do you want to increase the likelihood that you'll land interviews from 2% to more than 40%? Simply hitting the “apply" and “submit" buttons for the openings you see on the major job boards won't get you there. The critical factor that makes or breaks job search success is your ability to make direct contact with the hiring decision maker.
Related:10 Little Things That Make A Big Difference To Hiring Managers
Put on your sleuthing cap, get out your magnifying glass, and do some good, old-fashioned (or, in these days of technology: new-fangled) investigating to come up with the name of the right person. Here's how to find the hiring manager's contact info:
Google your way to greatness.
Be sure not to overlook the obvious. Google is the place to start. Googling works best when you have a specific company or a list of companies in mind. By the way, best practices in successful job search call for targeting companies. You need to know where you want to work in order to increase the likelihood of landing there.
Using Google, enter, “Human Resources Director" + “Company ABC" and evaluate the results. Apply this strategy to also identify potential decision makers in your area of expertise, for example, “VP, Marketing" + “Company XYZ." To drill further down, include the city where you live or where you'd like to relocate.
Sail through social media.
Looking at the “about us" page of the company web site is likely to point you to the decision makers' social media profiles. LinkedIn is the #1 social network for professionals, so this is where you need to begin your research. Choices abound on LinkedIn. You can enter the same search terms as you would in Google. You can follow the company and LinkedIn will tell you who in your network currently works there.
Additional avenues are Google+, where users are likely to write an entire biography about themselves, rich with contact information. Twitter can also be a gold mine. Both of these social networks present fewer barriers to entry than LinkedIn, making it easier to directly contact the person you need for free.
Dial the digits.
You know those automated phone systems everyone hates because they take so long and offer too many choices? These voice response systems can be your best friends when you're in the midst of job search. They usually click on at 5:01 pm, so you can call in the evenings to find out the names of the people you need.
This strategy works not only in identifying the decision maker, but also in getting past the gatekeeper. Often the automated system will provide the opportunity to leave a voice mail directly in the decision maker's inbox.
Finding the hiring decision maker's contact info takes a little time and research. However, the payoff is huge. You'll get out of the job board black hole, and get into dialogue with more people who have the power to bring you on board at the organization you want.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.Related Posts
How Do Employers Find Their Ideal Candidate?5 Skills Employers Want Their Employees To Have4 Ways To Stand Out To EmployersAbout the author
Jewel Bracy DeMaio finds out who you are, what you do, and the value you bring, and articulates that in a way that invites the
employers and recruiters to call you. Ms. DeMaio is a triple-certified, nationally-recognized executive resume writer and job search coach. Learn more at www.APerfectResume.com or call 855-JOB-FOUND.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert.
