Job Hunting Strategy

Career Coaching
Job hunting strategy
www.readytojump.pl

Job offers generation
1. Your network/ personal contacts/ social network
2. Direct application to target companies - reaching potential employers
directly
3. Headhunters
4. Online job ads
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Your network
1. Organize your network (LinkedIn/ business contacts, professional
associations, school/ university alumni's, friends & family).
2. Call them – inform about your willingness to change job
3. Prepare cover mail
4. Send your master CV together with cover mail
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Cover mail example / network,
headhunters
Hello xx,
Following our conversation please find attached my CV.
In brief about my profile:
• position, level of experience, sector
• team management (np. of people, region) if applicable
• main areas of expertise + key successes
I’m looking for a positions of : xx (preferably) within xx sector / where
In case you would hear about this type of vacancy in your network, please let me know.
Regards
xx
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Direct application
1. Define companies/ organizations that you wish to work for (type of business,
location, etc.) - use CAVAC™ Model
2. Gather information about their strategy and activities (check their www,
follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, check business conferences
they attend)
3. Try to get additional insights via informal interview
4. Define your contact person (ex. Head of HR, Managing Directors, Member of
the Board)
5. Prepare a cover mail/ cover letter/ pain letter
6. Send your CV + cover letter + project portfolio
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Direct application
how to create a list of target companies
1. Create a Wish List of target companies where you have always wanted to work.
Think about what characteristics and accolades those target companies have that inspire you to want to work for them.
When writing down those traits, use those ideas to spring board your thinking to come up with other target companies that
seem to embody those same traits and philosophies.
2. Apply The CAVAC™ Model *to build your Target Company List.
The CAVAC™ Model is a methodical, hub-and-spoke thought process that helps the job seeker create a stream of
new ideas pertaining to potential companies where they may find their next position. The C’s are the company’s clients
and competitors. The V is vendors. And the A’s are associations and affiliate companies that complement the target
company’s business.
3. Cultivate leads from Industry Conference, Convention, and Trade Show literature.
If you are unable to attend, review the website/conference literature: Look the speaker list: Who do they work for?
Review the sponsor list: who is committing advertising dollars to this conference? These are companies, by the nature of
funding speaker travel and sponsorships, typically will have the philosophy and long strategic view to growth and
leadership that you may be looking for and could be create candidates for your target list.
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*http://chameleonresumes.com/2013/08/12/build-your-target-company-list-methodically/?utm_source=SLC+LinkedIn&utm_medium=BlogPost&utm_campaign=build-
your-target-company-list-methodically

Direct application
CAVAC™ Model
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Employer or
target company
Competitors
Associations
VendorsAffiliates
Clients

Direct application
4. Search for blogs in your industry to build your target company list.
When identifying for blogs in the industry, there are a few ways you can use this information. If it is a corporate blog, then
that company can become a target list candidate. You can make note of the employer of the blogger, if they are writing
from an independent opinion. Lastly, you can look for upcoming or expanding companies discussed in the content of the
articles to add to your list.
5. Research the investments of Private Equity, Venture Capital and Angel Investor companies.
If you would like to work for a newly formed firm, a firm in its high growth stages or a firm fueled by private equity
or venture capital funds you can research for VC. In Poland for ex. in terms of number of investments, the most active
investors include Inovo VC, MCI Internet Ventures and Experior with significantly higher activity than others (10, 5 and 4
investments respectively). Other VCs with more than one investment were: RTA Ventures, Piton, Capital, Protos
VC and Giza Polish Ventures. Out of the total investments, 72% were lead by Polish VCs. Only 28% of the capital has
been provided by foreign investors. Out of the 72%, 36% has been delivered by state backed Polish funds, 26% of
investments were made by private VC funds and 10% by Polish angel investors (data from 2016).
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Direct application
6. Look at your day-to-day activities. What companies do you interact with each day?
Go with what you know and with which you are familiar. Every company that you encounter in your daily life could
be a possible lead, depending on what you do.
7. Learn about local companies in your area first hand, and not just thought online research.
Attend and consider joining your area’s local Business Association Partnerships, Chambers of Commerce, and other
business-embracing organization in your city and county. The employers of the area will attend these meetings and you
can meet your area’s local employment players in person.
8. Go beyond the alumni database to capture the influence and leverage the potential offered by your college alumni
network.
Subscribe to the alumni magazine, attend the alumni network meetings. Consider volunteering for the membership
committee for your local alumni chapter. Having access to the local chapter members and their employers can spark ideas
of where you can look for your next opportunity.
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Direct application
9. Look at the advertisers in the magazine and in any other online or physical industry publication.
For any industry, alumni, mainstream or professional publication (online or print), make note of the advertisers in
that publication.
10. Search for current and previous employees of target companies in your CAVAC™ network and review the employees’
profiles on LinkedIn.
Where did they work previously? What is going on with that previous employer now? Ask yourself if those
companies are worthy to be on your Target List. To take an extra step with this information, if you are within three
degrees of this target company’s former employee, consider asking for an introduction to determine if you can
obtain any information about the hiring process.
11. Use job boards as information portals, and not just job portals.
If you discover a great company through an online job posting, but it is not the right job for you, use it as evidence that the
company is hiring. If they are hiring sales managers, consider approaching the company outlining how you are an
exceptional client service director and correlate how your accomplishments can become an asset to the prospective
firm. Don’t wait for the job opening to become available—use what is there to craft your own proposal.
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Direct application
12. Create time to review business news sites, such as CNBC, Marketwatch, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Business Insider,
Puls Biznesu etc.
Research the companies of interest in the articles (and the advertisements!) to determine which of the new companies you
discover should be on your target list.
13. Get extra value from your professional development and continuing education coursework.
Consider to attend professional trainings, obtain post graduate, MBA, management degrees.
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Informal interview
Informal interview could be a meeting/ conf call/ Skype with someone who works for an industry of your interest,
who holds the position of your interest, who work/ worked in the organization of your interest. It could be also a
informal meeting with HR of the company you wish to work. In that case informal interview is not typically planned
around a specific job opening or opportunity, rather it is a chance for a jobseekers to learn about an industry, its
corporate culture and to get advice on their career from someone who has walked a similar professional path to
help them decide if it might be the right fit.
It is a possibility to:
- gather inside information about the organization (challenges, culture & values, development possibilities, skills
they are looking for, changes they are facing etc.)
- gather information about their hiring process and people responsible for that
- gather information about current or future job openings
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Informal interview
examples of questions
1. What kinds of problems does the organization deal with?
2. Do you know what the most important leadership traits look like for that organization?
3. What do you like most about working in this industry? What do you dislike most?
4. Why did you decide to work for this company?
5. What do you like most about this company?
6. How does your company differ from its competitors?
7. Are you optimistic about the company’s future and your future with the company?
8. What does the company do to contribute to its employees’ professional development?
9. What sorts of changes are occurring in your occupation?
10. How would you describe the working atmosphere and the people with whom you work?
11. What can you tell me about the corporate culture?
12. If your job progresses as you like, what would be the next step in your career?
13. From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field?
14. If you had to break it up into percentages, how do you spend your day?
15. How does the time use vary? Are there busy and slow times or is the workflow fairly constant?
16. What current issues and trends in the field should I know about/be aware of?
17. What is the company’s relationship with its customers?
18. Has the company made any recent changes to improve its business practices and profitability?
19. How would you describe the atmosphere at the company? Is it fairly formal or more laid-back and informal?
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Informal interview
examples of questions
20. Do people function fairly autonomously, or do they require a lot of supervision and direction?
21. Is the company’s management style top-down, or do front-line employees share in decision-making?
22. What work-related values are most highly esteemed in this company (security, high income, variety, independence)?
23. What kind of training program does the company offer? Is it highly structured or more informal?
24. Does the company encourage and/or pay for employees to pursue graduate degrees? Is there a tuition reimbursement program?
25. How does the company evaluate your job performance?
26. How does the company recognize outstanding accomplishments of its employees?
27. What does the company reward?
28. What is the typical job-interview process at the company? How many interviews do candidates generally go through before being
offered a position?
29. What does the company do to foster innovation and creativity?
30. In what areas do you perceive there to be gaps in personnel in this company? If the company had unlimited resources for
creating new positions, in what areas should those positions be created?
31. In what areas do you see the company expanding? Do you foresee the opening of new markets or greater globalization? Do you
predict development of new products and/or services? Building of new facilities?
32. How can employees prepare for any planned changes at the company?
33. What obstacles do you see getting in the way of the company’s profitability or growth?
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Pain letter
an alternative to cover letter
Pain letter is an alternative to cover letter. You send it to directly to your hiring manager at his or her desk. You
briefly explain the dilemma faced by an employer, and then demonstrate how you can resolve that difficulty. Much
like with a cover letter, explaining a company's pain must be brief, to the point, targeted and specific. Unlike online
job applications, this type of letter gets straight to the point as to why you're the ideal fit for an employer.
In order to prepare it you need a solid research and information about the company’s challenges and growth
plans, otherwise don’t bother.
1. Research the company - read about its business. What do they make or sell? Who are their clients? What
sorts of issues do you imagine that the organization is dealing with?
2. Figure out their business challenges. Try to search for people who hold similar roles at different companies
and ask what their biggest challenges are.
3. Conduct an informal interview.
4. Figure out how you can solve their pain?
5. Having declared the particular pain you solve, follow with an example of how you solved that pain in the past.
Which of your skills and success stories will confirm that you are able to solve their problem?
6. Prepare a pain letter
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Pain letter
pros
Pain letter has some advantages over cover letter:
• this letter addresses a person responsible for hiring you directly, whether she/he is the head of HR, a hiring
manager or a Board Member. This creates a sense of engagement, and it shows you took the time to
research the person responsible for hiring you
• it might be more effective. You sum up your highest skills set by saying what skills you have that solves a
company's most prominent problem. You create an immediacy because of the urgent problem the company
has, so the hiring manager might want to talk to you as soon as possible
• this type of cover letter stands out from the rest of the applications. This letter shows you thoroughly
researched the company and lent your human voice to the job search process, and tells an employer you are
there to solve that company's problem
• it is is a much more personable way to capture someone's attention
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Headhunter vs. recruiter
Typical Headhunter (HH) works for an executive search
company (company specialized in recruiting executive
level candidates – in practice in Poland these types of
companies recruit candidates from managerial level up).
Headhunter by the definition is using active search
methods meaning he or she is identifying potential
candidates by: defining the target list of companies and
then specific names to contact (via LinkedIn, @, or calling
directly to the company).
Headhunters are also using their own professional
networks and databases. In some cases (if the project is
not confidential) they advertise.
Recruiter (R) is working for the recruitment agencies
(majority of them are not specializing in any kind of
positions and profiles – they are called generalists. In
some global recruitment agencies they have teams that
by definition specialize in either certain business areas
or industries (ex. FMCG) or types of positions (sales
people, engineers, managers).
Recruiters are using many forms of search methods:
ads, internal/ external data bases, internal network,
recommendations, in some cases headhunting.
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Over last few years the definition of headhunter changed and devaluated meaning recruiters in many cases
call themselves headhunters. There are also other names for the role such as: Talent Sourcer Talent Acquisition
Specialist/ Manager or Talent Hunter (they work both for recruitment companies/ executive search and internal HR).
In big recruitment agencies the search process is divided between „sourcers” – responsible for potential candidates
identification and recruiters/ headhunters responsible for candidates selection.

Types of search firms
Contingency Firms („success fee”). Contingency firms are transaction-oriented - they are paid only if the Client hires a
candidate they present and generally focus on mid- to lower-level positions. Contingency firms work on a percentage
(typically 20-30 percent) of the candidate's first year total cash compensation. Contingency firms focus their efforts based
on the real potential to generate revenue and will prioritize their time and energy on realistic opportunities.
Retained Firms. A retained search firm typically has an exclusive relationship with the employer and is hired for a specific
period of time to find a candidate. Retained firms are paid a higher percentage (typically 30–35 percent) of the estimated
first year compensation regardless of whether a candidate is hired. Most assignments are paid in three installments,
typically one-third of the total fee to initiate the search, one-third when quality candidates are presented and interviewed,
and one-third when the position is filled.Retained search firms are often more focused on a consultative relationship, and
invest the appropriate time to learn about the company, the details of the position and the characteristics of the right
candidate.Retained firms are best-suited for senior-level management positions where there are fewer qualified
candidates.
Container Firm. A container firm blends the fee structure of contingent and retained services. Container firms are paid an
upfront fee, to initiate the search and require a percentage (typically 20-25 percent) of the candidate's first year
compensation once the position is filled.
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Some statistics
• To fill a job, headhunters/ recruiters, usually see no more than 10 candidates and present the client with a “short-list”
of three or four of them. Only one will be hired, so your chances of getting the job when there's an opening are 25-
33%.
• However, if they invite you for a generic interview, they usually find a new job for 1 or 2 out of the 10 candidates –
that’s an industry average. In that case, the probability that they will help you land a job is 20%.
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Interview with headhunter
Specific vs. generic interview
• Specific interview – it is the interview for the specific Client and role. It will focus on those of your competences that
could fit to the role.
• Generic interview – it is a general interview that will focus on your overall experience, motivation and career plans.
Once you will get a call from the headhunter with an interview invitation, ask if the interview is specific or generic.
In case it is specific ask for the job description (JD) to better prepare yourself for the interview.
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Effective cooperation
• Be as honest as possible. Remember: headhunters can’t give you a job, which means it’s not your job to go about
the business of impressing them. It’s your job to go about the business of proving that you fit the bill for the opening.
You need to be upfront and frank with a headhunter when it comes to compensation requirements, your experience
level, and the other qualifications for the job.
• Recruiters are not career coaches – they are working and are paid by their Clients. Their target is not to find a
candidate a job, but the right candidate for their Client. If a recruiter offers you job-search advice, that's a gift.
Recruiters are paid by employers to find them talent. They don't work for job-seekers, and as a consequence they
don't owe job-seekers much.
• Respect their time – try to answer their e-mails, call as soon as possible.
• Once you participate in the recruitment process, but for whatever reason decided not to continue, than inform the
headhunter as soon as possible.
• Be prepared for the interview. Help the headhunter to understand your career path, your motivation and your
requirements. Prepare your questions to the specific job interview and also help to understand the headhunter how
your competences fit to the role.
• Don’t burn the bridges – you will probably change the employer within next few years.
• Send a cover mail together with your CV stating what you are looking for and where you're looking – keep it short
and to the point.
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Effective cooperation
• Ask specific questions about the proposed role – not general ones like” please tell me something more about the
position”.
• Don’t exclude the headhunter form the process – don’t send your CV directly to the company the headhunter is
working for.
• Stick to the salary requirements (that you provided to the headhunter) during the interview with his/hers client.
• If the headhunter invites you on LinkedIn just accept the invitation.
• If the headhunter invites you to participate in the recruitment process that you are not interested in, take you time and
inform him/ her that you are not interested.
• If you are participating in the recruitment process than ask for inside information. Get your headhunter to give you
as much information as possible before an interview regarding the company and the people you're interviewing with.
Ask your headhunter to confirm how other candidates, who have interviewed for the same job you are interviewing for
have failed so that you avoid making the same mistakes. If the headhunter has worked with this company before,
there may be some helpful information out there.
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What can you expect?
Minimum of what you can expect:
• more in depth information about the role: organization/ department structure, KPI’s (goals), key responsibilities,
organizational culture, on boarding process
• information about how the recruitment process is organized: how many interviews, other forms of selection
(ex. assessment center, tests, case studies, presentation)? with whom? Time frame.
• feedback after the interview (whether you were successful or not)
• information if your salary requirements are in line with he client’s budget
Sometimes also:
• feedback about your resume (if it fit to the job requirements)
• debriefing before the interview
• salary negotiations support
• information about your „unique selling point” in comparison to other candidates
• information about the key choice criteria stated by the client
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Ethical recruiting practices
General rules:
• recruiters should only submit candidates for jobs which they have received verbal or written permission
• recruiters should not misrepresent the job requirements or benefits
• recruiters must keep the candidates information confidential and only apply it towards finding employment
• recruiters shall provide timely feedback about the process status
• recruiters shall demonstrate respect for the candidates time, their position and their responsibilities to their employer
• recruiters shall not put a pressure on candidate to accept an offer
• recruiters shall provide the candidate with all available information about the role and the client
• recruiters shall inform the candidate in a timely manner about the selection decision (whether the candidate got the
job or not)
• recruiters can not receive any form of payment from the candidate
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On line job ads
Job search engines:
https://pl.indeed.com (PL)
https://pl.jooble.org (PL)
www.indeed.com
http://www.simplyhired.com
https://www.beyond.com
http://www.linkup.com
Most common job boards in Poland:
www.pracuj.pl
www.praca.pl
www.infopraca.pl
https://praca.money.pl
https://www.monsterpolska.pl
http://www.goldenline.pl/praca/oferty
Most common in Europe/ US
https://pl.linkedin.com/jobs
https://www.job-hunt.org/jobs/states
https://www.executive-i.com
http://www.execcrossing.com
https://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/senior-executive/europe/
https://www.executivesontheweb.com/uk/job_search/
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On line job ads
Most common in Europe/ US
https://eu.experteer.com/jobs
https://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/jobs
https://angel.co/europe/start-up-ceo/jobs
https://www.ceo-worldwide.com/job-offers.php
http://jobs.economist.com/jobs/#browsing
http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs-management
https://www.reed.co.uk/
http://employmentguide.com/jobs/management
http://salary.com/
https://www.theladders.com/
http://www.simplyhired.com/
https://www.monster.com/
https://www.glassdoor.com/
https://careers.google.com/jobs
To maximize your job search, use both job boards and job search engines along with a variety of sites because so far no single site
searches all job listings.
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Ready to Jump
About the company
We are supporting our clients in their career management.
Many years of experience within recruitment, assessment and selection field on in CEE region help us to successfully
guide our clients during the job transition process.
With our unique set of tools we help our clients in:
• career management
• definition the most effective job hunting strategy
• preparation for the job interviews
• building their personal brand in the social media
• preparation of power application documents
• preparation for the Assessment Centers
• preparation for the package (re) negotiations with (potential) employer
Our values:
• Professionalism – we are delivering what we promise
• We believe in giving a people a pole, not a fish. We are supporting our clients, providing knowledge and feedback. Our
services require client commitment.
• “less is more” we are working with limited number of clients as we are committed to quality not quantity.
www.readytojump.pl

Contact
Ready to Jump (FSM Sp. z o.o.)
ul. Foksal 18, Warszawa
00-372 Warszawa
www.readytojump.pl
Contact Person
Agnieszka Piątkowska (Partner)
Tel. 509175865
@: agnieszkapiatkowska@readytojump.pl
www.readytojump.pl

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