The Guide to Choosing Which Companies to Pick for Your Job Search
Do you ever find yourself scrolling on LinkedIn and wondering where to start in your job search?
There are tech jobs and supply chain jobs. Account executive and customer support roles. Large companies and small.
It’s A LOT and this is why burnout happens.
There are too many decisions to make and you end up spreading yourself thin by applying to 10+ roles at 100+ companies.
Believe it or not, every top salesperson typically goes through this same cycle at every job they start.
The 100+ accounts you get are called your territory and it’s your job to focus on which companies you should reach out to.
What you’ll find is that top reps usually NEVER focus on more than 50 accounts.
And that’s the purpose of this guide.
I’m going to show you how to pick companies to connect with like a top producing salesperson so you can:
Hyper focus on the companies you actually want to work for
Avoid burnout from applying to 100+ companies
Really focus in on securing interviews and offers
Let’s DO THIS.
Step 1) Start With Who You Know
In sales, the list of people that you already know or have direct ties to are called warm leads.
This means there’s a high chance they’ll answer you when you message them and are willing to help your cause.
And this is where sales people almost always start in planning out their territory.
What I want you to do is download the below Google Doc and type in everyone you think can help you in your job search.
If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, here’s the list I used in my job search:
People I used to work with
Family and close friends
Friends I’ve met through friends
1st connections on LinkedIn (people I’m directly connected with)
2nd connections on LinkedIn (people that I’m directly connected with know)
Take this list and search/connect with everyone on LinkedIn to see what job they currently have and where they used to work.
Keep this Google Doc open because you’re going to need it for the rest of this guide.
Step 2) Connect the Dots
Chances are high you now have at least 50+ people that you can reach out to at different companies.
It’s time to see if what they’re currently doing or where they work applies to your job search.
Here are a few things I looked for in my list:
Person is a recruiter or sales manager at a tech company
Person has a job title that I’m interested in or want to be in when I’m promoted
Person has a VP title at a mortgage technology company
Person is a top Loan Officer at a mortgage lender with more than 500 employees
Person has a 2nd connection that’s a recruiter of a company I like
Highlight these people in green on your Google Doc because THESE are the people you want to reach out to.
Chances are high you have anywhere from 5 - 25 people highlighted which means you’re off to a killer start!
Now, let’s finish up the rest of your list.
Step 3) Rounding Out Your List of Companies to Connect With
Now that you have your warm leads dialed in it’s time to get into the soul searching portion of this guide.
These are going to be the tough questions that you really need to get answered before you find your list getting way too long. (Hint: They can almost all be answered on LinkedIn)
Question 1: What kind of company do you want to work for (my choice was a technology company)?
Question 2: What industry do you want that company to be in (my choice was mortgage lending)?
Question 3: How large do you want that company to be (my choice was 10 - 250 employees because I wanted more flexibility in my role)?
Question 4: What 1-2 roles do I want to have at my next company (my choice was Enterprise Account Executive and Strategic Account Manager)?
Question 5: What do I want my base salary and commission structure to be (my choice was over $100,000/year as a base with an on target earnings (OTE) of at least $250,000/year)?
Answering these questions is what separates you from most job searchers in the current market and they will make your next company a lot easier to find.
After answering these questions, I had less than 50 companies I could even apply to which means I could get hyper focused.
In fact, one of the offers I got was from a company where I didn't even have a position for my role open, but they made one because my story was so compelling.
So, there we have it. You’re FOCUSED. You KNOW WHAT YOU WANT.
Type the companies in your Google Doc and get ready for the last step.
Step 4) Find the People You Need to Reach Out To
Your list of companies you should be reaching out to is finally complete!
Now all that’s left is to find the:
Recruiter
Hiring Manager
Someone in the Role You Want
At each company that’s on your list.
These will be the people that you ultimately will connect with and will help you secure your next job.
--
There you have it.
You now have under 50 companies that you can put all of your effort into in terms of your job search.
Is it terrifying that you only have 50 chances?
Hell yes it is, but there’s a reason why top salespeople always tend to have the same habits.
It’s because they work.
I used this exact same framework for my job search and:
Connected with only 25 companies
Got 7 interviews
Secured 3 offers at 25% over the salary and commission structure I was looking for
You can do it too!
