Learn the secrets executives use to land their dream jobs -- Career Center Blog

March 17, 2011

Learn the secrets executives use to land their dream jobs

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By Paul Anderson
NWjobs

One reason I enjoy working with executives is that they gain such deep knowledge about the companies they're targeting. They become familiar with the general financials, the executive management teams and boards of directors, and they find out if the companies are planning on reorganizing, going public or whether they're being positioned for sales or mergers.

But their secret ingredient -- that we can all learn from -- is knowing even more details about their target company's competitors. With this information, they're able to put together a mini business plan or marketing document to share with their prospective employers. They are able to create a "wow" effect, and position themselves as a valuable resource versus a desperate job-seeker.

You don't have to be an executive to use this strategy. Last year, a client of mine came to me with a big challenge. She told me she had been a stay-at-home mom for five years and wanted to get back into the market.

With the best candidates and resumes already floating around the marketplace, she knew she didn't have much of a chance if she tried traditional job-search strategies, so she took my advice to target only her dream companies. One of those companies was AT&T Wireless in Redmond. In the past, she had worked with AT&T and loved the company, but she didn't have any contacts, nor did she see any openings that were a good fit.

"One thing I saw on TV was AT&T and Verizon battling each other about who was a better cell phone provider. It reminded me of my kids fighting, and then I had a thought: These guys weren't fighting for attention, they were fighting for retail sales," she said.

She decided to go to four local AT&T stores, where she documented everything she could about what they were doing right and what they could have improved on. She then did the same thing at Verizon Wireless stores and compared her data. She had found the mistakes AT&T was making and created a two-page business plan for the company.

My client then handed that information over to a marketing director at the company and said she would be happy to discuss details if he was interested in learning more. Two days later, she got a call from someone in HR at AT&T saying, "While we don't have an opening, our marketing director is interested in interviewing you."

Before she knew it, she had walked away with a job offer. I'm proud of her for landing her dream job, but the part I love the most is that she overcame a limitation -- being a stay-at-home mom with a less-than-optimal resume -- by thinking and acting strategically.

Analyzing a company's competition and proposing relevant solutions is a simple yet powerful strategy anyone can use. Perhaps it will inspire you and help you get your dream job at your dream company.

Paul Anderson of ProLango helps professionals in transition find their desired employment.

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Agnes Lam | March 17, 2011 2:26 PM | Reply

Very inspiring story. What's interesting is that the lesson can be picked up equally well by companies ... learning about one's competitors can always yield great insights into one's own business.
Thanks for sharing.

Ian Hamilton | March 17, 2011 11:06 PM | Reply

Thanks you Paul for the story, it reminds me of a quote: "If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle" (Sun Tzu).