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EXECUTIVE JOB SEARCH, NETWORKING & CAREER ADVANCEMENT
CAREER LETTER How To Find The Company That's Right For You
By Dave Opton, CEO and Founder, ExecuNet
If the seemingly long odds ever get you down, think of how men in the Old West one hundred years ago must have felt about their prospects for finding a wife. In states like Colorado after the Civil War, men sometimes outnumbered women ten, twenty or even one hundred to one. Not the best odds for the men interested in marriage! Well, in today's job market the odds of finding a great job may not be as challenging as finding a wife in the Old West, but finding the right job at the right company requires a deep self-understanding, confidence, strategy and a lot of networking.
The good news is that as a senior executive, even if you are in a job you loathe, you are in a surprisingly good position to make a move to find the company that is right for you. In part, that's because your own network is probably stronger than you realize. While it may be largely untapped, it is sitting there waiting for you to leverage its power. Sit down and make a list of your current and potential network contacts. You'll be surprised at how many contacts you already have.
Soul Searching Required
But if you don't know what kind of company you'd like to work for, do some soul-searching augmented by some old-fashioned gumshoe research. On the introspection front, search deep within yourself to determine what is most important to you in your professional life. An executive coach can help, but you can also do this on your own by applying yourself and taking the time required to do some deep thinking about what you've liked and disliked about your previous jobs.
By my mid twenties, I was president of a successful technology firm that at the height of the market in 1999 was worth over $2 billion. Before age 30, I was on the cover of 'Forbes' three times. After the market slowed, my company decided to merge with our parent company, and I managed the integration. I soon realized that selling enterprise software was no longer in my heart, and I felt somewhat lost. I researched many different industries and businesses, from Fortune 500 companies to start-up businesses. I even briefly considered a career in politics. Through this process, I learned that what I loved most was starting and building things. — Christy Jones, founder Extend Fertility.
If you are having trouble coming up with a particular company or group of companies, start with products or services that speak to you, suggests ExecuNet FastTrack Seminar leader Linda Dominguez. Think of companies you have dealt with as a customer that produce something you value and/or admire. Do you have a good feeling about that firm? If so, that may be one to pursue. Likewise, if you have read positive articles about a company that struck an internal chord, consider adding them to your wish list.
After you've discovered from within what type of company, or even some specific companies, you'd like to pursue, it's time to do some detective work. This can be fun! For example, find a weblog about the company by searching Yahoo and post questions anonymously about how the firm works and what it is really like to work there, suggests Deborah Brown Vollman, president of Surpass Your Dreams Inc., a coaching and mentoring agency, and author of Coach Yourself to a New Career. Certainly you cannot rely on weblog information that isn't verified elsewhere, but it can be a great place to start digging.
Start Your Network
When targeting the company that is right for you, begin with your network. Call and e-mail current and past contacts and ask them what they know about Company X. It's a small world, and you'll be surprised at how often you'll get back word from someone who can help. When you find that person, ask whom they know at the company and what they know about the company. Try and discover what attracts talent to the company or why good people leave, how it makes decisions, and what life is like at the company day-to-day.
Stretch your research arm and expand your network by reaching out via ExecuNet's online Member-to-Member Directory, Special Interest Networks and in-person meetings to find peers who do or have worked at one of your target companies or know someone who did. You can make these connections at www.execunet.com.
Outnumbered men in the Old West often had a better chance of striking gold than meeting the person of their dreams. Luckily, you've got far better odds of finding the perfect company if you take control by determining what kind of company best suits your talents, personality and work-life expectations, and working your networking to target good matches!
Updated regularly, this timely career information and advice is brought to you by ExecuNet, the premier networking and membership organization for the $100K+ executive.
Since 1988, ExecuNet has focused exclusively on the job search, networking and career development needs of senior-level executives. ExecuNet has everything you need to advance your career, whether you're actively looking, or just monitoring the job market. For more information visit www.execunet.com.
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