Applying for a Job That's Not Posted

Here is a post from the Ask Liz Ryan online community:

Dear Liz,

I am trying out the best way to apply for a position that is not posted at a local company. I am interested in working as a recruiter for them, but have not seen the position posted. This company is hiring like crazy and I would love to work for them. Good bad-tips for success.Thank you for sharing!

Susan

Dear Susan,

This is a big theme in the job-search process we espouse here in our group! You don't have to wait for a job opening to be posted, and in fact if you're interested in a particular employer it's best not to wait foryour desired job opening to be posted.

If you wait, you're tossing your resume into the mix with a zillion other job seekers. If you approach the company directly before they post your dream job, you've got a much better chance of getting an interview.

Here's what you do:

1. Identify the company you'd like to approach.
2. Use LinkedIn, ZoomInfo.com and the company's own website - plus Google - to identify a person by name and title, whom you'd like to reach out to.
3. Write a great, pithy letter to that person, using the Cover Letter Formula shown at the link below. Attach your resume to the letter.
4. Send your brilliant cover letter and the attached resume to this person via surface mail.
5. Repeat - for every employer you're targeting.

Here are the relevant how-to links:

HOW TO FIND A NAME INSIDE A TARGET COMPANY

TEN RULES FOR THE PERFECT COVER LETTER

p.s.
What are the odds that a given company is hiring people like you right now? The odds are very good. Eighty percent of jobs never get posted. Jobseekers whoreach out to companies proactively, in addition to or instead of responding toposted job ads, get jobs that never see the light of Monster, as it were. :-)
Cheers -- Liz)