What is the most effective executive job hunting strategy in today’s demanding market? The answer may surprise you. With so many job seekers searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack when it comes to finding the perfect position, targeted research offers a direct path to landing that attractive executive position at a company that offers the opportunity for professional growth and development. Just as employers need to screen potential employees, executive job seekers need to screen prospective employers to make sure the goals of the company match the goals of the executive. This is best done through targeted research.
When you research target companies, consider the following characteristics of the company:
- Is the company private or public? Is it for-profit or a not-for-profit?
- What is the company’s industry classification?
- What is the company’s vision, strategy, and mission?
- What is the company’s culture? Is it a fast-paced environment or does it operate at a leisurely pace?
- What is the stage of growth? Is the company a start-up, a sustaining business, or is it in decline?
- Does the company grow through expansion of the current service or product lines, through acquisition, or by developing partnerships with other companies?
- Is it in hyper growth or steady year-after-year growth?
- Is it business-to-business, business-to-consumer, or business-to-government?
- Is the company an industry leader, an emerging company, a pioneering company, or a traditional company?
- It a green company, a socially conscious company, or does it ignore such considerations?
- Does the pay scale and available benefits meet your needs?
- What is the commuting distance?
As you can see there is much to consider about targeted companies. Directed research is the hallmark of an effective targeted marketing campaign. Above all, it’s an opportunity to learn about target companies and discover major problems that you can solve. Although this is the nitty-gritty of the executive job search, it is important to take your time with the research process as it will give you an advantage over your competitors. A candidate who knows the interviewing company’s problems and how to resolve them is the job candidate who lands the job. It’s that simple.
So, how do you find these answers? Check out Landing an Executive Position – Proven Job Search Strategies that Win Offers for a list of websites that offer valuable company information as well as a list of strategies that include purchasing company mailing lists, using Google news alerts, and corresponding with industry recruiters to gather as much targeted research as possible about companies you are interested in pursuing.
This brief article is an excerpt from Landing An Executive Position.
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