How to Get Any Job You Want

Brandon Bennett -

There is no secret that the job search process is one of the most stressful things we  have to experience. We often spend hours working on our resumes - tweaking and perfecting it until we are confident it will land us the job, only to hear crickets and leave us frustrated.

This article will be especially helpful to everyone currently searching for jobs.

As the facts show, most resumes get auto-rejected by the applicant tracking systems (ATS), which means that your resume was never seen by human eyes. Some computer algorithm scanned your resume, compared it against the job posting, and determined you're not a match.

This is what is often called the resume blackhole and where most job applicants end up. The frustrating part is that the applicant has no idea this is happening to them and they continue doing this over and over again - with no success.

The problem here lies with the approach the average person takes when trying to land a job. They do a search for the job title they want, find a couple job postings that sound good, and then spend hours applying to each job posting. Then they wait, and wait, and wait some more until ... they finally get an email back from the company informing them that they are no longer being pursued.

The job that we have defines us as a person and literally allows us to live our lives by giving us a paycheck. So why are we delegating our job searches to an algorithm that is going to determine if we are qualified or not?

The Secret is Networking

The secret to getting a job is to actively reach out to people who can help us. That's right, instead of applying online, those who get their dream jobs do so by networking with people that either have the job they want, work at the company they want to work for, or work in the industry they want to work in. They don't sit back and delegate their job searches to anyone else other than themselves, especially not an algorithm.

So how do you do this? How do you connect with people you don't even know?

It's actually simpler than it sounds. All you need is a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is the largest online networking tool that allows you to connect with people from almost every company in the world.

Let's say you want to work for Google. Simply type Google into the search bar and then look for the People section, this ranks all the people who might be in your network. The people at the very top will be people you're connected with, the people right under these will be those you have mutual connections with, and then lastly under those will be people you have no connection with.

So what do you say to these people?

All you need to do is send them a simple message asking them if they have 15 minutes to talk about what it's like to work there.

Here's an example:

Hi David,

My name is James Taylor, and I recently graduated from the University of Texas. May I have 15 minutes of your time to ask you about your experience with Cisco? I am trying to learn more about finance careers at technology companies in Texas, and your insights would be very helpful.

I recognize this may be a busy time for you, so if we are unable to connect this week, I'll try to reach you next week to see whether that is more convenient.

Thank you for your time,
James

Now I understand that this might feel awkward, however people do it all the time and frankly there are plenty of people out there that are more than willing to help. If this person could possibly help you get a job at the company you really want to work at, wouldn't you do anything possible to make it happen?

The most common responses you will get back from people are either: no response or a yes. People typically won't message back and outright say no, so you don't need to worry about being offended by someone's rejection. Now, if you don't get a response from someone, send a follow-up message a week later. If they still don't respond, then just move on.

So once you find someone willing to talk with you, what do you then talk about?

I recommend keeping these conversations about 15-20 minutes to be respectful of the other person's time. Here is my suggested timeline with a few sample questions to ask.

1.  Small Talk (2-3 minutes)

You first want to start off with some small talk to break the ice and get to know the person a little bit.

Sample questions:

  • How was your day today?
  • Can you tell me more about your background?
  • Are you working on any cool projects right now?

2. Q&A (10-15 minutes)

This is where you are going to ask some real questions you have. These shouldn't be easy questions you can find on Google or questions about pay and benefits.

Sample questions:

  • What is the best way to succeed at the company?
  • How do you think the company will change in the next few years?
  • What surprises you the most about your job/company?
  • What's the best lesson you've learned on the job?
  • What trends are most impacting your company right now?
  • What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were my age or in my position?

3. Next Steps (2-3 minutes)

Lastly, you want to wrap up the conversation by asking for their recommended next steps. This is where you're hoping that they will refer you to a hiring manager or give you some inside knowledge to help you land a job there. So, you will simply ask...

  • What next steps would you recommend for someone in my situation?

Asking for help puts the other person in a very awkward spot. If your conversation goes well and they feel comfortable with you, then they might offer to help you. This needs to come from them or else they will feel like you're placing a burden on them.

After the conversation ends, send them a thank you message. If they offered to help, then follow-up a week or two later with the actions you've taken based on their advice.

How many should you setup?

I would continue setting these up as frequently as you can to give yourself the best possible chances of landing a job. You likely won't land a job after doing just one of these, so keep doing them and eventually you will find the right person who helps you land the job. Networking is a skill that you will use for the rest of your life, so keep doing it and you will have built a very large network of people you can rely on in the future.

Conclusion:

So there you have it. A simpler and more efficient way to actually land the job you've always wanted. Give it a try and stop applying to all those job postings. I know you will actually start seeing some real results.