Identify Key Hiring Managers
Applying through a job board puts you in a pile with hundreds of other applicants. Reaching out directly to the hiring manager puts you in a completely different category. Even a brief message saying you applied and are excited about the role can be the difference between your resume being read or ignored. Today you identify who those people are so you are ready to reach out later in the program.
Applying through a job board puts you in a pile with hundreds of other applicants. Reaching out directly to the hiring manager puts you in a completely different category. Even a brief message saying you applied and are excited about the role can be the difference between your resume being read or ignored. Today you identify who those people are so you are ready to reach out later in the program.
Complete these steps
Pick your top 5 companies From your list of 10-15 choose the 5 you are most excited about.
Find the relevant department head or hiring manager on LinkedIn Search the company name on LinkedIn then go to their People tab. Filter by department (Marketing, Finance, Engineering etc.) Look for titles like:
Director of [Department]
VP of [Department]
Head of [Department] [Department] Manager
Note their name, title, and LinkedIn URL Add this to your company research tracker. You will use this in Week 2 when we start direct outreach.
Do not reach out yet Just research today. In Week 2 you will craft a personalized outreach message. Reaching out before you are prepared often does more harm than good.
Tips for success
If you cannot find the exact hiring manager the HR Manager or Talent Acquisition team is a good second choice
Look for mutual connections — a warm introduction is far more effective than cold outreach
Check if they have posted or shared content recently — you can reference it in your outreach message later