“A lot of people will know about a job opening before it’s even posted online,” Lizzie Ann Jones, a former Fortune 500 recruiter, told me. Here’s a seven-step guide on how to do it. I learned that many job-seekers (especially first-generation college students and students who are the children of immigrants) are hesitant to pitch themselves to employers out of fear that it will offend hiring managers or hurt their status as candidates.īut, contrary to this belief, pitching yourself directly to employers can actually give you an advantage over other applicants. This is why I encourage students, mentees, and clients to proactively pitch themselves to employers, instead of reactively applying for jobs after the openings are posted online.Īs part of the research I conducted for my company Career Survival Guide - which provides women and professionals of color with resources to help them succeed in the workforce - I interviewed a series of career counselors, educators, and early to mid-career professionals around this topic. You were a great intern though.”Īlthough I was clearly qualified for that role, I wouldn’t have been hired had I continued to follow the application process detailed on the company website. “It’s funny,” he said, “in all those years that you were applying, your resume never made it onto my desk. Years later, that news director and I reconnected. Pitching yourself directly to employers can actually give you an advantage over other applicants. In that role, I worked with some of the best journalists in Seattle and built reporting skills that I could have never learned in a classroom. During a student scholarship ceremony, I was given that opportunity, and the following week, I interviewed and received an offer soon after. It was at this point that I decided I needed to try something different: Pitch myself directly to the news director. When I realized this job-search strategy wasn’t working, I followed the popular internet advice and took more initiative, emailing individual reporters at the company to inquire about open roles. There was one particular news station in Seattle that I wanted to intern for, and every summer, I dutifully filled out an online application and emailed my resume to their HR department only to be met with radio silence. See more from Ascend here.īefore becoming a news anchor, I received hundreds of rejection emails. Step 7: Don’t be put off by a “no.” Rejection is unavoidable, but don’t mistake it for failure.Assuming you do land a meeting with the hiring manager, use this time discuss your skills and experience and how you could provide value to the company. Wait at least a week before reaching out again, and when you do, keep it short. Step 5: Follow up … but don’t overdo it. Send an email introducing yourself, expressing interest in their company, explaining the value you can bring to their team, and requesting a meeting. Step 4: Connect with the hiring manager.Ask questions about their experience at the company and how the job you are targeting fits into it all. As the conversation wraps up, ask if they will introduce you to a hiring manager Step 3: Nail your informational interview.Your goal is to get an information interview with them, as they can connect you to hiring managers (and their recommendations will not be ignored). Step 2: Identify key players at the company, or employees who have decision-making power at the company and who can influence hiring decisions.By the time a role is posted online, it’s already been publicized internally. Plan to pitch yourself to the employers you want to work for as early as possible in your job search. Contrary to popular belief, pitching yourself directly to employers can give you an advantage over other applicants.
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