Search for jobs by identifying a company

One piece of advice I share with all of my clients – don’t look for a job, look for a company. If you are looking only specifically for a job (focusing only on job boards or posted listings), you are missing out on potential opportunities that are never advertised. Seeking an organization and broadening your target will help you be more competitive in this environment.

Some recent research from the Michigan State University Collegiate Employment Research Institute, which conducts an annual survey, (as reported via CNN) suggests that:

“Large companies, those with more than 4,000 employees, plan to decrease hiring of all graduates by 3%, and medium-sized companies, those with between 500 and 4,000 employees, expect to lower hiring by 11%.

Smaller companies, however, may provide a bright spot in the job market for new graduates.

Employers with fewer than 500 staff members said they expect hiring at their companies to jump by 15%. These companies will hire 11 new graduates on average in 2010, and 8 of them will be at the bachelor’s level.“

So, it may be wise to stop looking only at large companies and to focus on smaller firms for opportunities.

I have many clients who identify organizations first. They say, “I want to work for a small company where I will be able to get involved in a lot of different areas.” Or they say, “I want to work for a large company with opportunity to be promoted.” Or, “I’d love to work for a large firm and be pigeon-holed into doing the same work day after day.” Except for that last one…

There are pros and cons to every type of job. I have a client who works for a small family firm. Her stories are exactly what one would expect based on stereotypes of small family firms…Uncle Bill comes in to do the taxes, Aunt Sue is hired to decorate the waiting area. Non-family members work at their own peril. At the same time, this client had the opportunity to take on responsibilities and hone skills she otherwise would not have had the chance to do had she worked at a larger firm.

Points to consider…

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