Scott R. - Horse Before the Cart  

There are many misconceptions about the job search process, but one common fallacy is that companies move along fine, until one day they suddenly realize they need to fill a position, and by the next day it is advertised.  Sometimes, the horse comes before the cart:  the interview happens before the job is defined.

Just as often, there is an unformed period of time during which the employer senses they may have a need soon, but the position or opening has not yet been established.  That is a great time to be talking to employers. Scott was a supply chain professional who was looking for similar or related work.  He was taught that a frequent mistake of job seekers is to look at a company's website, and when the right job is not published there, move on to the next company.

Websites, for many reasons, typically do not represent all of the opportunities available within a company. One company in particular was identified, not because they posted a suitable opening (they didn't), but because he knew it was the type of company he wanted to work for (I know, a dangling participle). He determined the correct contact person there (NOT the Human Resources office) and introduced himself with an informational interview. Piquing the employer's interest, he was invited to have an in-person conversation.

That went well, although still no specific job was identified.  But the next step was interesting, and more common than many people realize:  The employer set up 1:1 interviews for Scott with several of his managers, with the challenge to them:  "Listen to Scott, and ask yourself, in what way could he contribute to your unit".

Scott met with different managers throughout the (very long and exhausting) day.  The HR, Operations, Sales, Procurement and other primary functions all met with him to look for ways to bring him into the team.

We encourage clients to incorporate informational interviews as part of their networking strategy.  During these calls, the employers often start by warning that they don't actually have any openings currently.  Yet, during the conversations, if the connect well with the caller, they often change their tune.  More than one has followed the conversation with, "I know I said we don't have any openings right now, but there is one coming up soon, and we might move the date up if the right person came along...".  Green lights like this remind us why we have to explore forward without necessarily having the target in sight.   

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