How to Get Your Foot In the Door At Your Dream Company
We all have a list of companies we aspire to work at during the pinnacle of our careers. To get one step closer to making that dream a reality, consider these tips to get your foot in the door of your dream company — whether or not it has an open position you’re interested in right now.
Connect and Interact with the Brand on Social Media
How much do you really know about your dream company? Most brands have a strong digital presence, so do your homework — and be prepared to answer more in-depth questions about it — by following and connecting with corporate accounts on social media. Take it one step further and interact with the brand online. Like a tweet, respond with an intelligent comment on their LinkedIn page, share a Facebook post that’s intriguing. Slowly but surely, you’ll start to build a healthy online relationship with the brand — and you’ll never know who in the company will notice.
Join the Company’s Talent Network
Chances are you may not even know this exists and risk missing out on a huge opportunity, but most companies today have what’s known as a talent network. Its primary goal is to keep you engaged as a job seeker. That means even if there isn’t an open position you’d want to apply to, you can still submit your information or resume for the company to store on file and alert you as future opportunities arise.
See if You Know Anyone on LinkedIn
It may feel a little creepy, but put on your sleuthing hat and use LinkedIn to try to reach out to someone who works at the company. If you don’t know anyone who works there currently or has worked there in the past, see if you can identify any mutual connections and reach out to them to see if they can make an introduction. Be careful not to come off as too aggressive though — while it’s perfectly acceptable to indicate your interest in being employed by the company, start out by asking good questions, and build up to a referral request.
Scout Out Local Events Where the Brand will have a Presence
Is there a trade show where the brand will have a strong presence? Are they sponsoring the next Disrupt Tech Happy Hour? Is a leader at the company going to be presenting a webinar or speaking at a conference? Do your research and find out where employees and/or leaders will be, and show up. Even if you don’t get any face-to-face time, you can show during an interview that you’re invested in the brand by attending these events to learn more.
Reach Out to the Hiring Manager Directly
This is a riskier step than the ones listed above because it could backfire — or it could end up getting you hired (or something in between). That’s because hiring managers are often inundated with seemingly countless resumes for any given position — and they could be working on multiple at the same time, so whatever you do, approach it calmly and don’t seem aggressive or impatient or desperate. No one wants that! If you deem it worth the risk and reach out at the right moment on a good day and the hiring manager is receptive, that should go down as a win in your books.
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Deanna Hartley is a prolific writer and editor, having spent the past decade publishing hundreds of print and digital bylines on topics including job search advice, career development, recruitment, HR and human capital management that speak to both job seekers as well as employers/recruiters. Deanna has a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, is a former senior editor at award-winning publisher Human Capital Media in Chicago, and currently works as a senior copywriter at CareerBuilder. Her articles providing career advice have appeared in a variety of publications, including Gannett’s network of newspapers, Business Insider and Workforce Magazine. A proud female millennial immigrant, Deanna understands the importance and privilege of securing meaningful employment in the U.S. — and hopes, through her work, she can help others do the same.