When you are a respected market leader it strengthens your hand in the employment market because people tend to come to you looking for work. There are some companies out there who are inundated by applications when advertising a job. These companies also tend to receive a lot of speculative applications.
If you want to get hired by a specific company, regardless of whether or not they are recruiting, then it's important to go the extra mile. This doesn’t just mean the application process, but also your approach to your current job. Word of mouth and recommendations are extremely powerful tools, so if you are regarded as a dedicated worker within your current company, this automatically improves your prospects.
I have spoken before about the importance of networking and why you should avoid passing up on events you might see as unimportant – because you simply don’t know what opportunities may arise.
A few years ago I was giving a talk at a University, and at the end of it I was approached by a woman who had fantastic confidence and initiative. In just a few minutes she basically gave me what’s known as the elevator pitch. She talked me through her experience, her skill set and why she wanted to work for me. I could tell she was a very determined and proactive individual so I decided to book her in for an interview. She came in and impressed everybody, so I decided, as I often do with talented people, to create a role for her.
Now it wasn’t just her ability or qualifications that won me over. It was the fact that she went the extra mile. She plucked up the courage to approach me; she then took a 4 hour journey to come in for an interview, and had clearly done her research on the company.
I would also advise you to think carefully about why you want to work for a particular company. It could be because they have a high profile or the opportunities they provide for their employees. You need to communicate this clearly in the form of your approach, whether it’s a cover letter, phone call or meeting.
An employer will not want to hire somebody who just wants a job. They will hire somebody who wants to work for them.
Demonstrate what you know about the company, from their history to their clients to their brand values. Tell them why you want to work for them, but just as importantly – what value will you add to them? If they are not currently hiring you will need to work even harder to show how your strengths can match up with their needs.
As ever, research plays a key role here. A great example of someone who really did their research was an entrepreneur who emailed one of my investment managers around a year and a half ago. He wanted to start a business with us, but he didn’t just come straight in with a pitch. He had analysed everything about Hamilton Bradshaw, including every single recruitment business we had within our portfolio. He spotted a gap where he thought there was an opportunity for him to create value for us and some of the other businesses. He was so impressive that we decided to call him in for a meeting, and in less than a year he had started his own company.
Applying for jobs can be difficult at the best of times; more so when there are no actual vacancies. But if you can demonstrate your commitment to working for a particular company, you might just get that dream job.
For more tips and advice to boost your career, check out my book Get The Job You Really Want
Copied from Linkedin posted by James Caan on 27th May 2014 at 2.22 pm SGT