A little bit more on Researching your Target Market........

A little bit more on Researching your Target Market.......
If you want to have control over your job search here are our three tips to help you ‘Research your Target Market’

1) Select companies that sell products or services you respect and admire. 
Choosing a company where you can explain how you've come to appreciate what they do for their customers is how you build a connection between the employer and you. Companies like to hire people who really understand why they're in business and who feel as passionate as they do about the value they deliver to customers.

2) Set a goal of connecting with a minimum of 1 or more people who work there. The more people you meet, the more likely it is you'll build the relationships needed to be referred into the company. Each time you speak to an employee and get to know them, ask if they'd be willing to introduce you to someone else who works there.

3) Focus on gathering the right data about the employer to help you make an informed decision. Our studies show there are key pieces of information a job seeker needs to assess if an employer would suit their needs. They are:

  • Size  - how many employees
  • Location - where you'll be working
  • Company Vibe - style of the corporate culture 
  • Employee Attributes - common characteristics (often listed in their job adverts – How do these compare to your type preferences? Have you taken the free online personality test through the UL Cooperative Education & Careers Division website here?
  • UL Alumni – search ‘University of Limerick’ on LinkedIn and click ‘Alumni’ www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-limerick/alumni/ 
  • Values & Beliefs – these are the guiding principles of that company listed on their website
  • X Factor - what makes them unique? Know more than the introductory paragraph in the ‘About Us’ section of their website. Google recent news releases, IDA sectors. The UL Graduate Outcome Survey (see above) also includes sector spotlights that are well worth a read.

Using these criteria as your guide, you can make the time you spend connecting with employees more productive and insightful by driving the conversation to explore these areas. It's time to go and take control of your job search and take the proactive approach

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A little bit more on Strengths........

Strengths Spotting Alex Linley has great tips to get to know your strengths or spot them in others. Strengths spotting is fun and easy once you know what you are looking for. Ten Tips for spotting strengths in yourself and others   Childhood memories: What do you remember doing as a child that you still do now – but most likely much better? Strengths often have deep roots from our earlier   lives. Energy: What activities give you an energetic buzz when you are doing them? These activities are very likely calling on your strengths. Authenticity: When do you feel most like the “real you”? The chances are that you will be using your strengths in some way. Ease: See what activities come naturally to you, and at which you excel – sometimes, it seems, without even trying. These will likely be your strengths. Attention: See where you naturally pay attention. You’re more likely to focus on things that are playing ...
Read more

A little bit more on Networking......

Image
A little bit more on Networking...... Who are your contacts? The starting point of any networking campaign is to identify your contacts. Brainstorming is a good way to start identifying your networks and contacts. This exercise will help you set up an initial contact list to start your networking. The following is a list of suggested contacts: 1.     Friends/Family 2.     Relatives 3.     Sport club members 4.     Neighbours / Community 5.     Current / past part-time job contacts & customers 6.     UL Alumni that have done my course last year and the year before etc 7.     UL Staff & Careers Office 8.     My contacts on LinkedIn  Put a simple plan in place List every last contact you can think of and beside each name in a spreadsheet gather all their contact details in on place and timeline it, setting a reminder on your pho...
Read more

A little bit more on Personal Branding.....

A little bit more on Personal Branding……. 1.         Embrace Authenticity   Don't become different versions of yourself depending on the circumstance or people. Keep your personal brand consistent, authentic and positive. You would have seen from our previous blogs positive language to describe your  personality  and your unique  strengths .  2.         Understand Your Values   Pay close attention to the personality and values of the industry you want to break into. Look at job descriptions and career pages of target employers to develop a sense of the industry, and be sure your brand is on point.  3.         Build a professional online image.   You’re most likely going to be Googled by any potential employer, so make sure your online identity is consistent with your brand. Check your social network privacy settings, a...
Read more