How do you target companies and roles that align with your career goals?

To target companies and roles that match your career goals, first, figure out what you want in your career. Then, research companies and industries that fit your goals and values. Connect with people in your field and look for job openings online. Customize your resume and write personal cover letters for each application. Apply, follow up, and be prepared for interviews. Keep improving your skills and stay patient, and you'll increase your chances of finding the right job for you.

I advise my clients to put together a list of their dream 20 companies they would love to work for. You never know if there could be a role that works for you! I was working with a food scientist once and she LOVED Disney. I advised her to look into it - and you know what - Disney employs food scientists! You just never know. Search for what YOU want - not what just happens to be available.

Assuming you've taken the time to review yoru perosnal interest, skills and values, the next step is to network and then do more and more. People hate to hear that word "networking", but it's just talking to people about a specific question. We network every day and dont' think twice about it. If you need a new babysitter you talk to neighbours and friends (that's networking), if you're looking for a new dentist, you look talk to friends, look for referrals (that's networking again), so ask your closest friends, what types of roles do they see you in, ask for referrals (networking) and review your personal goals to a companies.

Make things as SIMPLE as you can when you think about your goals - try not to be overly specific until AFTER you get your next job. Your short term goals should reflect your current situation, make sure you're meeting those FIRST. Then make a separate list of 5-year goals. Don't think beyond 5 years in this economy though, it will only make you sad. Example from my own life... My situation: I've been laid off 40 times in 26 years so I have NO SAVINGS and I'm about to be evicted which means homeless and starving YET AGAIN. My short-term goals: $80k/yr to pay rent and bills and feed myself so that I don't die in a ditch next month. My 5-yr goals: JOB STABILITY, training & exp. to move up to project/lab manager or similar level.

With internet job search it is MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE to research any calls, texts, or emails you get from "staffing agencies" or "recruiting firms." Especially if they are very pushy trying to get you to decide immediately about having them "submit you for the position." Because INTERNET SCAMS ARE A GROWING CONCERN, and desperate job-seekers make easy targets for digital pirates. So no harm done if you immediately mark them as spam/phishing with your email service or block their number on your phone. Protect yourself FIRST. But if you have time... some of them really are legitimate. So try to learn how to do your own basic vetting of how trustworthy a potential employer is, before you send them all your personal information.

Request informational interviews with professionals who work at your target companies to gain insights into their experiences and learn more about the company culture and hiring practices.

I advise my clients to make a list of dream companies. Where would you LOVE to work? Think big. Then think about companies that are adjacent to that organization - perhaps vendors, partners, suppliers etc. Go big on the list and then narrow it down. You never know what you can find!

In the perfect world, people want a short commute (or remote role) and don't want to add 2-3 hours a day travelling for work. Create a list of organizations and put them into quadrants. Ideal (location/job), Transitional (will get me to the job I really want) and contingency. (back-up plan, need immediate work and at the moment can't be picky about location or type of role)

I can't afford to be picky about where I work because I'm losing my home and starving. So my list is bigger than yours should be. As an unemployed person, I apply between 5 to 85 jobs daily. There is a vast amount of material available online, and it can be overwhelming if you don't have some way to organize your search. I have four major job search sites that I rotate through daily. Then I have 10 individual companies that I know DO NOT use temp/contract recruiting firms or the major job search sites because they have their own internal hiring system, I check those twice a week. And another 10 companies that will sometimes post on the major job search sites but also have their own internal hiring system, I check those once a week.

You have 2 options to tailor: 1. Tailor each resume to the job. The problem is, this is the most time-consuming and most risky strategy since you have to nail the exact keywords to get past the ATS filters. Even then, most applications don't get seen by a human, so your chances of getting considered are slim, esp in a tight market. 2. Tailor your LinkedIn profile for your target expertise (described by Function, Level, Industry, Vertical and Stage of Company). This is the method where I've seen people have lots of great results, because they search-engine optimize their profiles for recruiters who are already searching on LinkedIn Recruiter. So they skip the line and land right on top of the candidate pile, without applying.

Tailoring your resume for a specific job or career path is paramount, and it is as vital as knowing your identity. I once heard that job searching can be a full-time job, and found it to be true. Try and hit a homerun as it relates to the specialized experience. When you can narrow your focus and put it in perspective to the position/s that you are undeniably qualified for, the rest is history.

+1 to networking with people who work in companies you are interested in. However don’t stop at just connecting with them, make an intentional effort to engage with their posts particularly posts that align with your career or the career you are trying to build. Ask questions, share insights, seek clarification e.t.c. The impact of this is visibility, and this visibility ‚can’ bring you the type of opportunities you desire not only from your desired companies but from some other amazing companies ( aka hidden 💎) that will check almost all your boxes. 😊

In my case, networking with people from my past to increase relationships that might shape my future just isn't possible. I've had 40 jobs in 26 years; many cases more than one at a time. Everywhere I go, they have me there for 6-8 months and then I get laid off. The number of times that I have worked someplace long enough to make an impression on the people there can be counted on three fingers... and most of the people who I made an impression on have either also been laid off or retired by now. And anytime there is a seminar or conference it's 1000 miles away with a $700 entry fee plus airfare and hotel bills and I'm "broke A.F." as the kids say, because I keep getting laid off. But in YOUR situation, try to leverage PAST contacts.

We can't know how well our strategy is working until we collide it with the market. Keep at it for 4 weeks and if you aren't getting the response you want, dissect your actions and materials. Reverse engineer it: How did I apply? What did I submit? Who did I talk to at the organization? How did I find out about the role? Trouble shoot and adjust from there.

Get a second pair of eyes on your resume, and also on your LinkedIn profile. Someone who hasn't been fiddling with it for six months and will see it from a purely objective point of view and won't sugar-coat their comments for you. Because it doesn't matter how fantastic you are at interviews, if you never get invited to the interview. Ask a HR professional, maybe someone from a previous company you worked at, maybe the folks at your local "unemployment office," or even a friend who works in HR... but someone who does hiring for a living. Ask them to give you feedback on your primary resume and your cover letter template.