Wondering how to use AI to get a job? Here’s one of the best ways: use it to create a targeted networking strategy.
It’s an open secret that targeted networking can get you a great job much faster than just applying to online job announcements along with hundreds of other people. By “targeted,” I mean that you focus on specific companies that meet your basic criteria as to type, size and location of company, and that hire people who do what you do, either in your geographic location or remotely.
The first step in a targeted search is to create a target companies list, and AI can be a big help in this.
How to Use AI to Build a Target Companies List
In the past, I’ve shared methods for creating a target companies list by using LinkedIn. Now you can also use free AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing Chat and You.com.
As I test, I went to ChatGPT and wrote,
Give me a list of 50 companies meet the following criteria:
1. They have 1,000 to 10,000 employees,
2. they sell consumer products related to outdoor recreation,
3. they have remote employees, and
4. they would be likely to hire someone with the following resume.
I then pasted in a sample resume. ChatGPT quickly provided a list of companies ranging from Arc’teryx to Wild Country. Great! I now had a target companies list for the job search.
How to Use Your Target Companies List to Gain Info, Contacts and Referrals
It’s always easier to get someone to reply to a message if you mention someone or something that you have in common.
For example, I searched LinkedIn for Patagonia employees who attended my alma mater, California State University Northridge. To do this, I logged into LinkedIn and typed into the search bar,
“Patagonia sales merchandising California State University Northridge.”
I then used filters to narrow down the search results by current or past company (Patagonia), and past school (California State University, Northridge).
Following these steps, I quickly found many fellow alumnae there. If I were in job search, I’d then reach out to some of those people to seek networking conversations (a.k.a. informational interviews), from which I’d gain valuable intel about a company’s hiring practices and culture. Of course, I’d make a point of building relationships with the people I spoke with, so that when a suitable position opened up I’d be well positioned to hear about it “through the grapevine,” and to be referred in for an interview. Candidates with a referral have a big advantage.
Does this sound difficult? It’s not much harder than applying to dozens or hundreds of job openings (and rarely, if ever, hearing back). And it’s much more likely to lead to a job. First read my post, “Networking: Organizations vs. Openings” for more tips, then give it a try.
So that’s how to use AI to build a target companies list. That’s the first step in a state-of-the-art, proactive job search that makes you stand out from the competition.
