Last week, I shared the five interview questions that you need to answer well in order to land a high-paying job--see the first two key interview questions here, and the last three here. Now I’m sharing some tips for finding those high-paying job openings in the first place.
As someone searching for an executive-level high-paying job, you might have noticed that not many six figure jobs are widely advertised. In fact, 75-85% of jobs with salaries over $100,000 are unposted. That’s why it’s important for you to learn how to find these six figure positions so that you can move into a new high-paying job quickly.
How to Find an Unposted High-Paying Job
Performing a Targeted Search
Your search for a high-paying job also needs to be targeted. Although you shouldn’t spend too much time researching companies on the front end before you’ve even landed an interview -- especially when you may only hear back from 5-10% of the positions you apply for -- it is important to focus your search to the companies that fit your specific criteria.
Follow these steps to perform your focused high-paying job search:
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Decide your preference in job title. Be specific and include what level -- i.e. rather than simply saying you want a job as an IT specialist, clarify that you would like to head an IT department.
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State what size of company you would like to work for. Consider not only the number of people employed by the company, but also the company’s annual revenue.
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Pinpoint one industry at a time rather than targeting positions in multiple industries. This will allow you to better research the one industry you are targeting, preparing you more for your interviews.
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Specify the geographic location you would like your job to be located in. You can target a whole state or region, a specific city, a smaller part of town, or even a 10 to 25 mile radius around a particular zip code.
Once you have determined the above parameters of your high-paying job search, look for companies that meet your basic criteria. Don’t spend an excessive amount of time researching these companies -- just get the bare minimum information necessary to contact them. At this stage of your high-paying job search, it is more important to identify a number of companies that fit your criteria and send out a higher volume of resumes.
Start a “Guerilla Search” for Your High-Paying Job
Now that you’ve narrowed your high-paying job search to the companies you would like to work for, you need to find out if they are actually offering a high-paying job. But you need to go a different route than when searching for a typical position. Online job boards will not yield many results. Instead, use these alternate resources:
Business Journals & Press Releases
You need to find the companies that are actually creating a new high-paying job -- not just the ones who have openings because current employees are vacating their positions. This means you should study your local business journals to see what companies are reporting good news, including new products or services, a new CEO or upper-level management, record sales, and the like. Companies celebrating these milestones are usually the ones creating a new high-paying job.
Once you’ve located a successful company with good news in the business journal, proactively contact them to say congratulations. This can be the start of a fruitful discussion between yourself and your prospective employer, leaving you well on your way to a high-paying job!
Network During Your High-Paying Job Search
As I’ve said before, expanding your existing network is key to finding a high-paying job -- especially an unposted one! But rather giving out your business card to 50 people, you should have a more focused approach. You need to surround yourself with centers of influence, those people who have many contacts in various industries that can point you to a specific contact within a company. This will better lead you to a high-paying job.
These centers of influence can be almost anyone, ranging from your pastor and the leaders of job clubs to the head of your local chamber of commerce and the president of an industry association. Identity a center of influence who will be beneficial to your particular high-paying job search, and then open up a conversation with them. Do not ask them directly if they know of high-paying job openings, as this can be awkward for both parties. Instead, open by asking them about their position and their passions. Explain your own interests, and end by asking who they know that you should talk to next. If you’re talking to the right people, you won’t need to give out hundreds of business cards. One good center of influence will go a long way in your high-paying job search.
Get More Help with Finding & Landing a
High-Paying Job
You don’t have to take a pay cut due to a bad job market -- the right job for you that pays what you’re worth is out there. You just need to find it.
At Career Resume Consulting, we specialize in landing our clients six figure jobs in weeks, not months. If you’re ready to make a career change and get the high-paying job you deserve, contact me directly at (816) 600-2478.
