How to Get Noticed by Your Dream Employer

You may have just completed your education, and now you're looking for work with the perfect employer. Or maybe you have been working for years, but now you want to move up to another company where you have always wished you could be working. Whatever the circumstance, you need to find ways that will help you get noticed and ultimately get hired. You can contact the company directly with a request for work, but that doesn't always do it. You can take other steps that will get you noticed in the business community or in your local area, to make your name stand out. You can also do several things to help put yourself in the best position to get hired.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Contacting the Company Directly

1
Believe in yourself. The first step in getting your dream job at your dream employer is having the faith in yourself that you belong there. You need to know that you have the education, the skills and the ability to do the job, and you need to believe it firmly enough that it shows to the hiring administrator.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.”^{[2]XResearch source} Along those same lines, you cannot get hired for the job you don't apply for. Be confident and reach for the job you want.
2
Build the right skills and qualifications. You can research the company, through its own website or through professional networking sites like LinkedIn.^{[3]XResearch source} Companies that register with LinkedIn will have a “Company Page” that highlights the skills and qualifications of their employees. Research the company you want and look at the qualifications they report for their current employees. Then do what you can to make yourself match their ideal employee.
- For example, find the company that you want to work for on LinkedIn, and then go to their "Company" page. You can run a search for the job type that you want, like marketing, or operations.
- Find staff people who are in those positions that you aspire to, and you can see their education and their professional credentials.
3
Identify the decision maker. Before you reach out to the company, you should find out who has the authority to hire you. This may be someone in the human resources department, but it may really be someone who works in the department where you want to end up. If you can impress the person who would be your direct supervisor, chances are good that human resources will follow along.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Write or email to the direct supervisor. This may sidestep the advertised job application, but it increases your chances of being noticed by the most relevant people. This is also the best route when you are “cold-calling” for a job that may not even have been advertised. You should think of beginning a conversation, not just asking for work. For example, you might start out with, "I would love an opportunity to meet with you and discuss you views on widget marketing." Something like that shows your interest without being too forward.
- If you are responding to a posted job opening, don't ignore the advertised application instructions. For example, if the job posting says to write to the human resources department, you should do that. But also make contact with the direct supervisor.
4
Write a concise and direct letter or email. Show off your ability to write, along with your knowledge of the company and your desire to work there. Keep the letter very clear and direct. Realize that the person reading it is busy, and you want to impress them but not waste their time.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Email appears less formal, but in today's business world is the efficient and direct way to make contact. Include a subject line that is relevant but not directly revealing (do not use “job application” as your subject). Provide information that shows your interest in the company and your knowledge of their work.
5
Be persistent. Follow up after your initial contact. You need to find the line between persistent, which makes you look good, and “pushy,” which makes you look annoying. Usually let a week or so go by, and follow up with a second message or perhaps a telephone call. If you have gained any new education, have written anything recently, or have changed any circumstances that might make you more desirable to the employer, mention it.^{[6]XResearch source}
- In a follow up communication, you want to keep an upbeat tone: "I would love to have an opportunity to talk with you more about working with you. I am very interested in real estate."
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Networking

1
Participate in business associations. Most professions have some kind of organization for their members. These professional associations often conduct regular meetings for members or sponsor conferences. Research these associations and find out what you can do to become involved. Participating in these meetings or workshops is a good way to meet other people in the field and to gain some recognition for yourself.
- As an example, if you want to get involved in business, you might investigate the chamber of commerce for your town or city.
- If you are interested in working in the technology field, you might investigate the Association of Information Technology Professionals or the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers.^{[7]XResearch source}^{[8]XResearch source}
If you live in a small community, you might build a name for yourself by taking prominent roles in community events. If your town has an Independence Day parade, for example, you might volunteer to be on the planning committee. This is a way to network with other members of the community, and it also may give you an opportunity to show off some managerial skills, creativity, or whatever other talent you think may sell you to your prospective employer.
3
Write and publish. Find topics that interest you and that will interest your dream employer, and then write about them. Conduct your own research in the field and share your expertise. If you write on noticeable topics, and if you write often enough, you should be able to gain the attention of your dream employer.^{[9]XResearch source}
- You may seek out professional journals in your field to submit your writing. Alternatively, make use of the Internet and social media. Create your own blog or post notes on Facebook and Twitter. Keep your writing on a professional level that would impress your prospective employer.
- It is important that your writing should represent your genuine beliefs, but it should also reflect ideas that will coincide with your employer. For example, if you are aware that the company has taken a particular political stance on some issue, you should be careful not to contradict that.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Volunteering for Your Dream Job

1
Check the website for opportunities to volunteer. If you are having trouble landing the paying job that you want, you can often get your foot in the door by volunteering. Look over the company's website and see if they offer any ongoing volunteer opportunities. Especially if you want to get into non-profit work, you may find that this is common.^{[10]XResearch source}
- If you have a specific company in mind, you may be able to locate a volunteer page on their website. Alternatively, conduct an Internet search, using the name of the company and the word “volunteer.” Some examples that may come up are:
  - www.americancancersociety.org/volunteer
  - www.diabetes.org/volunteer
  - www.alz.org/join_the_cause_volunteer.asp
2
Sign up online. Many companies that have established volunteer programs will have a sign-up page directly on the website. Use this and provide all your contact information. If you have the opportunity, attach a link to your resume. Realize that at this stage, you are not applying for a job but rather for a volunteer opportunity. Present yourself as willing and ready to serve their needs.^{[11]XResearch source}
- If the company does not ordinarily conduct a volunteer program, you might still work something out. Contact the personnel manager and express your desire to work for the company. You could say something like, “I realize you may not have any paid positions open at the moment, but I am very interest in Acme Corp. and would like to volunteer some time for the company. Could we meet to discuss this?”
- You may know that in the future you hope to turn this volunteerism into a paying job, but for now, you need to present yourself as an eager volunteer. Some companies have a competitive process just for accepting volunteers, and you want to appear as positive as you can.
Even if you submit an application online, contact the office by telephone or even in person. If it is a small, local organization, you may be able to visit the office and speak with someone about your interest in the company. You might not get right in to see the president, but you may be able to get some valuable information from the person at the front desk. In either case, your own eagerness should shine through.^{[12]XResearch source}
4
Be willing and flexible. As much as you are able, you should show that you are willing to work and accept whatever assignments are offered. Keep in mind that your reason for volunteering is to attract the attention of the employer and make them want to hire you on a full-time, paid basis. Show off your talents as much as possible, and make them understand that you will be a valuable person to have around.^{[13]XResearch source}
- If you are asked to perform tasks that you think are beneath your talent level, find a polite way to express your eagerness for more challenging work. Demonstrate your abilities. For example, if your volunteer work is to greet clients at the door, you might look for ways to demonstrate your management skills by arranging a better greeting system or suggesting a rearrangement of the lobby furniture.
^{[14]XExpert SourceLindsay Gordon
Career CoachExpert Interview. 21 September 2021.} As you are volunteering, keep your eyes and ears open and learn as much as you can about the company's operations. If a paying job opens in the future and you find yourself in an interview, it will be extremely valuable to be able to say, “When I worked in the shipping office as a volunteer, I became familiar with many of the staff members here and the company's operations.”^{[15]XResearch source}
While you are working as a volunteer, be alert to internal hiring. You may have access to the company's internal email or intranet system, and this could be were internal jobs get posted. You can also be alert to personnel moves within the company and be ready if any of these lead to job openings.^{[16]XResearch source}
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Preparing for the Dream Interview

1
Know the company's primary products and services. When you do get in for an interview, you will want to stand out as the employee who knows about the company. Research their primary products and the services they provide. If you get asked, “Tell us what you know about our business,” you should have a ready answer.^{[17]XResearch source}
- For example, if you are applying to a law firm, you should know the primary fields of law they practice. If you are applying to a manufacturer, you should know the products they make and the uses for those products. If possible, you should even have some ideas for opening new markets.
Research the company's hiring practices, either on its own website or through job employments sites online.^{[18]XExpert SourceLindsay Gordon
Career CoachExpert Interview. 21 September 2021.} Track the job openings that they list and make note of recent changes in staffing. Even if you see postings for specific jobs that may not interest you, you should watch the hiring trends of the company. This will give you information about the firm's hiring practices which can make you a more stand-out applicant.^{[19]XResearch source}
In addition to researching the company itself, you should learn what you can about its competition. You should know what you can about other businesses in the same industry. Be prepared to use that information in an interview, to show the employer that you are fully informed. Prepare some analysis before your interview, to demonstrate that you understand the market and will be an ideal employee.^{[20]XResearch source}
Whether your dream employer is in manufacturing, sales, provides professional services or does something else, you should understand its client base. Know who uses this company's services or products. If possible, you might even reach out to one of the client's, in advance of any interview you can get, and learn first-hand about their perceptions of the company. If you discuss this kind of feedback in an interview, your prospective employer is going to take note of your knowledge and initiative.^{[21]XResearch source}
5
Prepare informed questions. Nearly every interview reaches the point where the employer asks, “Do you have any questions about us?” This is your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the company, more than it is about actually getting information. You should ask the type of question that shows that you know a lot about the company.^{[22]XExpert SourceLindsay Gordon
Career CoachExpert Interview. 21 September 2021.}
- For example, you might ask something like, “I recently read that your market share has increased over the last quarter. How do you see this job opening factoring into continued growth in the future?”
- Although you may have some very direct questions about salary or benefits, the first interview is not the time for asking those. A question like, “How much vacation time is included?” will only make you look like your focus is not on the good of the company but rather on your own interest in vacation time.
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