1. Advanced Job Search
2. Communication
3. Documents
4. Getting Interviews
5. Interviewing
6. Research
7. Miscellaneous
8. Tools

Who do you most want to work for?  As an outsider, what is the best thing you can do to swarm your resources at them.  How do you storm the gates and get invited to stay? 

The first step is to make a wish, a specific wish that you will commit to.  Think ‘Who are the logical users of my skills?   The opposite of the shotgut approach is to take some very well aimed rifle shots at your favorite employers. 

The ideal goal is to prepare a proposal for the position you most want to attain.  The more you know about your quarry, the better you can present a winning approach with the greatest likelihood of producing very interesting employment related conversations at the proper level. 

Creating a proposal is a research task.  A position proposal includes:  a) their background, competitive environment, challenges, and opportunities; b) your relevant background; c) how you plan to bring value. 

To complete your proposal you should use all 5 resources available to you.  You will want to tap both published information and ask questions of all the people you can muster inside and outside the company.  

1.               Let Jim Panulla (merrilnj@eclipse.net) have your short list of companies you want to research further and then approach.  Merrill-Adams will start you out with some directory and beyond information. 

2.               Give your reference librarian a chance to impress you with the capabilities on those expensive shelves of books and special resources which your tax dollars pay for. 

3.               Networking.  Use your own network to get a fuller picture of the company’s situation, hot buttons, rising stars.  Use whoever you do know to get to even better sources to quench your curiosity. 

4.               Use the internet to find out about a company.  Examine the company web site.  Dig deeper for more resources through sites such as www.ceoexpress.com, www.corporateinformation.com, www.hoovers.com.  Then get industry niche sources such as those found through www.myjobsearch.com, www.airsdirectory.com www.yahoo.com/Economy/Organizations/Professional and www.asaenet.org/Gateway/OnlineAssocSlist.html.

Use some of the advanced search features of a powerful search engine to peer deeper.  For example in www.altavista.com, use the link: command to flip the web site.  Now examine who links to the company web site.  See what companies, vendors, customers, directories, news reports, resumes, etc. link to the company. 

5.               Use the internet to search for resumes of people with experience at the company.  For example, in AltaVista’s advanced Boolean search box, type…
(URL:company.com OR resume:company.com) AND companyname

If necessary, adjust the search terms further to get resumes of people who have “companyname” in their resume.  What you will have is an instant network of experts.  Many of the people who have posted their resume, will respond to questions that you pose to them.  Especially if they are focused and logical questions.  Particularly if you ask them in order to fill in your position proposal.  Do not abuse this method.  Do use it to astound your next employer with your insight, your incisive response to felt needs, salient solutions to pressing problems, and innovative approach to the richest veins of opportunity. 

Obviously one of the most important questions is “Who would be the best person to act on my proposal?” 

Now that’s a “rifle shot” in a robust campaign.  Now I can best assist you in editing this message for impact and strategize its delivery. 

1. Advanced Job Search  2. Communication  3. Documents  4. Getting Interviews  5. Interviewing  6. Research  7. Miscellaneous  8. Tools