Spot opportunities can be the secret weapon in your job search. A spot opportunity indicates change is occurring in your company or industry, and your proactive efforts can put your career on the fast track to greatness.
Here are several examples of spot opportunities:
- News that a company will go public. Part of the large influx of cash from the offering will likely go towards hiring talented personnel.
- Articles about major financing. This is a signal that the firm is planning major business initiatives or is struggling financially. Some of the new funds will, in many cases, be earmarked for recruiting additional employees.
- Announcement of construction or expansion of office space. This real estate is costly, and companies will work hard to populate it with additional personnel.
- Reports that a company has just announced record profits. Profitable firms are likely to be hiring.
Spot opportunities are easy to find if you make the effort. You’ll discover them in national newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal. You’ll find them in your local newspapers and business journals. They are everywhere on company blogs, white papers and research reports. If you are focusing on a particular field, comb industry trade journals for spot opportunities. Journals, newsletters, and trade catalogs published by professional associations regularly contain valuable insights on industry trends.
Your window of opportunity is as much as six months after fresh news that suggests a company may be expanding its workforce. By keeping your ear to the ground, you can take advantage of the opportunity by addressing the pressing needs of an organization as soon as possible. By tailoring your letter to the company’s situation, you’ll be seen as genuinely interested, positioning yourself leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.
What’s more, spot opportunities might allow you to discover new contacts who can impact hiring decisions. Rather than defaulting to the HR department contact, you may discover names of direct hiring authorities. By reaching out to these people directly, you may get noticed faster and be recognized as creative and perceptive.
Remember, spot opportunities emerge with news of change within a company or industry. All change represents an opportunity, and you can take advantage of that opportunity to help a company manage change.
