Something I hear often is that it is tough to find new companies that are hiring on the job boards or that it’s difficult to think of companies to target. 

I completely understand this.

It can be tough to keep thinking of new companies to target because:

(1) There are only a handful of companies that you know about

(2) Therefore, it’s easy to not know what you don’t know and

(3) The job boards will go through quiet periods

So here is a friendly reminder of 5 ways that you can either:

(1) Identify new companies that might be hiring .. and/or

(2) Start building a list of new companies to keep track of

By building your own database or target companies, you can stay on the lookout for new jobs that they post.

Note: You don’t have to utilize all 5 things on this list… or you certainly don’t have to try doing all 5 in one sitting.

To make it easier on yourself, I’d recommend working on 1/5 per day.

Let’s get into it….

#1. Search by Industries vs. Specific Companies
Instead of trying to identify individual companies, create two lists:
    1. List one: Dream industries
    2. List two: Industries I’m Interested In
↳ Once you’ve compiled a list of industries
↳ Run a Google search of top 50 companies per industry
↳ Then go to each company’s website -> search their careers page -> see if there are any openings that match what you are looking for.
↳ Companies will always post jobs on their company page since it is free as opposed to posting them on job boards (LinkedIn for example, charges $995 per job posting per month)
↳ If there is an opening you’re interested in, then follow use the outreach process/scripts we recommend (which you can find here) to reach out to Hiring Managers & Recruiters
 
#2. Go Where the Money Flows:
Keep an eye out for where VC’s are investing.
Why?
Because companies that are receiving funding will usually use those funds in three ways: Marketing, Technology, and Hiring
3 resources to use for this:
 
#3. Alumni Networks
Reconnect with past colleagues, or alumni from undergrad/graduate programs, and Bootcamps that you may have been a part of
↳ Run a simple search on LinkedIn of people who worked at the companies you did
↳ (you can even search by job titles… ie., Director of Product, VP of Operations, etc,.)
↳ See where they are working now, and check to see if their companies are hiring
↳ If they are, you should reach out to them and ask for a referral.
↳ Even if they aren’t hiring, it might be advantageous to reconnect w/ them to ultimately see if they know of anyone that is hiring, or resources they can share with you, or to keep you in mind if/when they are hiring
 
#4. ADPlist.org – Engage with New Mentors for Free
↳ This is a great way to connect with other senior leaders who are doing what you hope to one day and/or people who are working in industries/companies that you’re interested in
↳ The best part is, it is free (FYI – I’m not sponsored by them)
↳ It may not result in immediate interviews, but it can be a great way to connect with mentors who can be a resource for you down the road
 
Website: Adplist.org
 
#5. Follow the Breadcrumbs
↳ Run a LinkedIn search of people who are doing what you hope to be doing
↳ Take a look at the companies they once worked at
↳ Then follow the same process from the steps in #1
Cheat Sheet:
 
Open up LinkedIn
+Type in the title you hope to be in (i.e., “Vice President of Strategy and Operations”)
+Click, ‘All Filters’
+ Filter by Past Company and/or Current Company and/or Industry
= Now you get to form a list of where people you admire once worked
I want to reiterate that this can feel like a lot, but you can make it a lot easier on yourself by breaking it down into manageable chunks.
For example: Spend time in 1/5 each day for as much time as you can dedicate.
_____

Again, the entire point here is, you don’t have to spend countless hours on job boards. These are strong alternatives and the best part is, most people are not using them, therefore, you’ll stack the deck in your favor. 

Real Example: 

We had one client secure 7 different interviews by using ADPList.org  + using the VC Job Boards. Result: He landed a $350k Sr. Director of Product role in less than 61 days (in ’24)…yup.

Let me know how this goes!  

Yours in abundance, 

~ Gaurav

PS – If you’re looking to speed up your job search to land a $200k – $500k+ job offer in the next 90 days (or less), check out this video + book a free strategy call here. We can break down your current situation + where you want to go and strategize on how to get there faster. 

Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways we can help:

1. CareerSprout Coaching Our coaching is designed to help tech professionals land $200k to $500k+ job offers that align with their values and life goals.

2. Free Coaching Calls Join us live on LinkedIn every Wednesday at 10am PT / 1pm ET to ask questions live and get actionable insights to land a job in today's market and build a meaningful career.

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