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Method 2: Contact Employers Directly
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It takes more courage, but contacting employers
directly in is a very effective job search technique. I call these
cold contacts because you don't have an existing connection to the
people you are calling. There are two basic techniques for making
cold contacts: calling on the phone and dropping in without an appointment.
Use The "Yellow Pages"
The Yellow Pages is one of the best sources of potential
employers available. You can easily use it as a source of cold contacts.
Begin by looking at the index and asking for each entry, "Would
an organization of this kind need a person with my skills?" If the
answer is "yes," that type of organization or business becomes a
possible target. You can also rate entries based on your interest,
giving an A to those that look very interesting, a B to those you
are unsure about, and a C to those that don't look interesting at
all.
Next, select a type of organization that got a "yes" response (such
as "hotels") and turn to that section of the Yellow Pages.
Then call the businesses listed and ask to speak to the person who
is most likely to hire or supervise someone with your skills. There
is a sample telephone script later in this section.
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Drop in Without an Appointment
You can also simply walk in to many potential employers' offices and
ask to speak to the person in charge. This is particularly effective
in small businesses, but it works surprisingly well in larger ones,
too. Remember, you want an interview even if there are no openings
now. If your timing is inconvenient, ask for a better time to
come back for an interview.
Most Jobs Are with Small Employers
About 70 percent of all workers in the United States are employed
by small businesses—those with 250 or fewer employees. While
the largest corporations have reduced their numbers of employees
in recent years, small businesses have been creating as many as
80 percent of all new jobs. There are often more opportunities to
get training and promotions in smaller businesses, as well. Many
do not even have personnel departments, so nontraditional job search
techniques are particularly effective with them.
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