5 FREE Resources to Find Whom You Already Know at Your Dream Job

29Jul11

Last week I wrote that resumes submitted through a person at the firm or organization will be reviewed first. Now, how do you find the people to whom you should send your resume?

The following are 5 free and simple things to do, some you may already be doing, to find people you already know at your dream job.

1. LinkedIn – You are already on LinkedIn and updating your status regularly, now join groups, answer questions and “Follow Companies.” Find people who work at your dream job. How closely connected are you? Find people who have recently started (now might not be the best time for them to hand off your resume, let them get settled in, but now’s a great time to reconnect) and who have recently left (they still have friends there and can tell you recent news, hopefully without any bias or conflicts)
2. Career Center – Career counselors at your law school know which firms are looking to hire alumni from your law school. They know which firms might not currently be looking but are more likely to hire alumni. They know how to update your resume and do mock interviews. Most schools have a specific counselor whose job it is to focus on alumni.
3. College and Law School Alumni – Read recent news and join your alumni organizations. Attend alumni events when you can. I know I am always happy to help a current student at my alma mater (Brandeis University and Brooklyn Law School). Networking with alumni is easier. You know you already have something in common to discuss.
   
4. Twitter – Follow the official tweets of the firm you are targeting, follow the people who have the job you want, people who work at the firm you want, and people who are connected to those people. Now engage them in a conversation, ask them what they think of a recent and relevant news article, find out what they like and don’t like and once you have an online relationship consider taking it off-line. There are many success stories of lawyers and law students using Twitter to engage people whom they might not have met otherwise.
   
5. Mass email – You do not want to send your resume out as a mass email. However, writing to friends and former colleagues is a great way to tell people what you are looking for. Ask if they know anyone at your target firms and organizations. Be flexible. Everyone knows someone and that someone might be the one you’re looking for. Then offer to help them.

Filed under: Communication, Do's and Don'ts, Interview, Job Search, Law School, Resume   |  2 Comments
Tags: Alumni, Attorney's Counsel, Career Center, Communication, Jessica Silverstein, Job Search, Law School, Lawyer, LinkedIn, Professional, Resume, social media, Twitter