Finding a Job by Targeted Networking – Part 2

Understanding What’s Important
Targeted networking requires having a good idea of what your target will look like. When looking for a job, many people will first think that any tolerable job will do as long as it pays. Most people don’t really think what is important in a job until they are in it.  By then it is too late.

But a job isn’t just money or a short commute – job satisfaction most often is based on many other attributes, such as:

• Your Bosses Qualities
• Company Culture
• Management Treatment Of Employees
• Potential For Recognition
• Training Opportunities
• Career Growth

• Company Size
• Company Location
• Industry
• Product Technology
• Amount of “politics”
• Travel Opportunities And Expectations
• Overtime Expectation
• Intensity & Stress
• Management Ethics
• Ability To Contribute
• Ability To Succeed
• Quality Attitude
• Dress Expectations

Before starting to look for a company, decide what factors are most important to you in a new position.  Think back at jobs you enjoyed in the past and remember what aspects of the job made you happy.  Read the book What Color is your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles to help evaluate your goal.  Then rate items as critical attributes, important attributes, and less important ones. 

Now take another pass over the list. Of your most top items, pick three to focus on.  Think about how you might find out about your concern.  This is easy if your top concern is working for a smaller company or type of technology:  You can collect data on company size and technology and ignore those that are too large or use the wrong technology.  This type of information often be found out on-line. 

Some of the other attributes may be harder to characterize or collect information on. However, you should have at least of mental model of what you might be looking for in each.  For example: a) Level of stress, b) management ethics, or c) potential for outside recognition are not easily characterized, but you could try – a) medium to low stress place to work with occasional deadline pressure; b) a squeaky clean reputation of the managers for being ethical; c) a job/company that often credits successful individuals outside the company rather than management taking all the credit. 

With a mental model in mind for your most important concerns, you can ask people you talk to about what it is like working for your companies of interest. Now you can proceed to the next step, collecting information about companies.

Next: Collecting company information & networking toward your target