When I first heard of this concept, I competely discounted it. In fact, the first dozen times I heard this concept I completely discounted it. Really it took a nice jolt of reality to get me to realise the value in this.

Wanting a job. No, not just wanting a job in general, but wanting a specific job at a specific company. The concept was so foreign to me, yet after thinking a lot about it, it makes perfect sense.

The Concept

The main concept is simple. Instead of scouting around for any job you can get and applying for anything even vaguely resembling what you are looking for, you sit down and figure out what you want and who you want to do it for.

Before I go any further, let me state that this will take a lot more work per job than most people are used to. But, I believe it will mean less applications, less stress, a higher probability of success and eventually a higher-paying and closer to what you wnat type of position than blind applying.

What Got Me Thinking

I was reading a recent article in Fast Company which really had nothing to do with this subject. One paragraph was talking to employers and telling them that the best way to get the best candidate possible is to give them the best chance possible to get your job.

That’s right, instead of trying to “weed out” those who don’t fit some mythical mold, tell people what you want and let them respond. For instance, imagine yourself as an employer. Instead of having blind interviews, call each and every person a week before the interview and say something like:

Good morning,

We’ve reviewed your resume and would like to see you next week sometime for an interview. But before we do that we would like you to do some research on our company. Here are some webpages, where to find our financial information and here are the email addresses for some of the team you would be working with.

We would like you to do some research, figure out some issues within the company and come up with solutions for those issues.

If you are willing to do this, we’d like to see you next Thursday at 10am.

A very different approach! I’d imagine that 90% of people would refuse to do the work, thus leaving the top 10% of candidates. At that point the interviewer isn’t looking for something mythical, they are letting the candidate present some views on the company. Whether the issues, or even solutions, are 100% right is irrelevant.

What is relevant is the candidates dedication, ability to research and ability to come up with appropriate solutions. Nobody would expect such a candidate to get everything right, but following the right process is far more important anyways.

What This Means

The reason this got me thinking was that it really was a reality check. If I decide to care about each job I’m applying for, put in the research and try and help the company (what I love doing anyways) instead of just blind resume blasting with certain company specifics filled in…

Well, I would appear to be educated, to know the company, to have original ideas and to have self-respect. All these are exactly what employers are looking for.

What You Do

There are, as far as I can tell, two steps to this process. First, you need to figure out what you want and what you are good at, secondly you need to research the company in such a way that you get a good idea what’s going on and how you can help (and if you fit and will like the job!).

Figuring out what you want and are good at can be one of the hardest and most rewarding things to do. One exec I talked to did this years ago and it prompted her to start her own company and she’s now quite wealthy. She took a paper, and spent about a week jotting down notes in two columns. In the left column she wrote everything she was good at and enjoyed doing. In the right column she wrote down everything she was bad at and didn’t enjoy.

This gave her a basis to form an idea for her “perfect job” as it included everything from duties to teamwork to how much she enjoyed innovation, etc. It’s really what employers whish they knew about you anyways, and it is then your job to communicate that.

I’m getting ahead of myself though.

The second area is the research area. First and foremost I would recommend calling the person you are interviewing with and asking them for as much information as they are able to get you. Also ask if you can email team members, or even meet them. This will give you a good idea of what to expect, as well as if you will enjoy the company (according to your list above). Next, the company’s website and Google will truly be your friend.

You may want to look at consumer reports, reviews of the company, etc and try and get a general feel for what the company’s image really is, as well as the image they would like to project.

It’s your job to get a feel for what you and the company want, and then to sell yourself if you feel this is a job you could really enjoy doing and thrive at.

Selling Yourself

If you’ve decided that a certain job, and company, are for you, here are some basic tools to sell yourself. Granted, that if you’ve already called the company, met with team members and even, possibly, met with your interviewer, you may have already done your job. But, here are some ways to be sure. After all, you want as many stars by your name as possible ;)

Cover letters. The purpose of cover letters is to give an overall impression of what you have to offer a company. So, what is the point of a generic “about me” cover letter which just repeats what’s in your resume in a more eloquent fashion? Unless you’re applying for a communications/marketing position, eloquence isn’t likely high on the list of required skills. Instead, let your cover letter be your first pitch. Let it describe what you are looking for, what you’ve discovered about the company and some basic ideas of ways you feel you could help. And let it conclude in such a way that the company wants to hear more from you.

Remember, the point of any resume/cover letter is to get you an interview. Do what it takes to get that interview.

The Interview. Of course you are going to dress for success. Of course you are going to have a positive attitude. Of course you are going to be ready for the “how many plastic cups can a 747 carry” type questions. But, you are also going to be ready to elaborate on the ideas in your cover letter.

Feel free to ask questions instead of making assumptions, try and pinpoint areas where the company may be weak, certainly pinpoint areas where they are strong, and present ideas (especially ideas within the frame of what you’ll be doing or wanting to do) which show problem solving, communication and forethought. Don’t worry about getting everything right. Make yourself look as ready for this position as you believe you are.

After all, if you only apply for positions where you will be happy, with companies that you know you can stand behind then you should be excited more than desperate, and that should show through.