Research Your Target Employers to Accelerate Executive Job Search

The critical first step in executive job search is two-pronged. You need to identify specific employers to focus on, and then research these target employers.

Your objective is to determine the specific qualifications and qualities they’re looking for in candidates. You also need to uncover their “pain points” or business problems. Look for the things challenging them right now that you are uniquely qualified to help them with.

Without knowing what your target employers want and need, you can’t possibly define your authentic personal brand. And you won’t know what information to include in your resume, LinkedIn profile and other personal marketing materials.

You won’t be able to attract the employers you want to work for, with content that will resonate with them.

And without targeting and research, you won’t be able to clearly differentiate what sets you apart and above the other candidates.

For successful executive job search, plan to spend some time on researching your target employers.

You need company and industry market intelligence to:

Gain access to the goldmine of “hidden” or unadvertised executive jobs.
Determine how you’re uniquely qualified to help your target companies overcome current challenges.
Learn how to define your personal brand and ROI around your potential value to them.
Identify those all-important relevant keywords and phrases to use across your personal marketing.
Know how to craft your resume, biography, LinkedIn profile and other materials around what will resonate with your target companies.
Identify the people at your target companies to connect with for insider information, introductions and leads.
Circumvent the gatekeepers. Avoid the HR-driven search process, by positioning yourself in front of and connecting directly with key decision makers.
Help you with due diligence when assessing potential employers.
Prepare you to speak intelligently about your target companies and industry when networking.
Help you nail interviews by being an informed, knowledgeable candidate.

Things to look for when you research your target employers:

Company overviews and history
Products and services
Historical financials
Competitors
Challenges they’re facing right now
Corporate culture
Company leaders and key decision-makers
Latest industry trends
Recent press releases and relevant news articles

Get My Full Proprietary Worksheet to Identify and Research Your Target Employers

The research suggestions above represent just a portion of the important work you need to do, as the first steps in a successful job search. The full worksheet covers it all — how and where to find information on companies/organizations, industry and people. It also helps you uncover and develop your list of target employers.

My full job search targeting and research worksheet is the actual proprietary document I use with my clients to help them land jobs they covet and deserve.

But that’s not all. You’ll also get my Career History Worksheet to help you dig deep for metrics and benefits you’ve brought to past employers. That’s the kind of information that helps employers see what you’ll be able to do for them.

In all, you’ll get more than 15 pages, with dozens of DIY tips and advice to help you identify target employers and determine what makes you unique and valuable to them. The work you do using my worksheets will also help you network and interview better.

Along with the 2 worksheets, here’s some of the other information included:

How today’s job search is different than before
Why you must begin your job search with targeting and research
The problems with job boards, including the resume Applicant Tracking System (ATS) conundrum
How to use job boards for research and market intelligence

Get my full job search targeting and research worksheet (with all the extras noted above) . . . OR the complete package of my 4 proprietary executive job search worksheets.

Along with the Targeting & Research and Career History Worksheets, the complete worksheet package includes my 2 other proprietary worksheets and so much more:

Personal Branding Worksheet
Biography Worksheet
The Branding and Biography worksheets each contain numerous resources and DIY tips and strategies to help you land the job you want.