Secret Ingredient to a Proactive Job Search: Target List

The most important step to a proactive job search is having a target list. So few fail to create it and instead rely on being passive by spending the majority of their time applying to jobs online. The harsh truth is that companies won’t find you. You have to find them. You do this by being proactive and creating a target list of companies that you would like to work for regardless of whether the company has an opening or not (I know there are raised eyebrows out there about this one). Why, you ask?  I will give you three reasons why — expected openings, unexpected openings and growth. Every company will have one of three things happen (maybe all three at once!):

• Sally puts in her two weeks notice (unexpected)   
• Jeff is being promoted to supervisor (expected)
• The company has just won a new client (growth)

The importance of a target list is to be in the right place, at the right time, when one of these things does happen.But how do you do that? By networking and keeping in touch with your contacts on a regular basis. Find that company you would like to work for and do your research! Know your skills and how you can be a great fit. Find a connection to network with so you can be in the grapevine to hear of a possible job leads. It is all about timing. If you don’t develop your target list, then it is back to being an applicant, instead of a job seeker.