Let’s say you want to change jobs, you were laid off, or, you are tired of doing the same old, same old, but you don’t know how to change or what the job titles are that might meet your needs.

You need to do a self assessment. Then you need to figure out which titles are good for you based upon your skills and interest.
A job target consists of three things: a job title or function, an industry, and a geographic location.

1. Job Title – Let’s say you are interested in finance, you have been a financial analyst abut now you want to be a financial planner. Or you have been a magazine editor and now you want to be a media feature editor.
You need to create a list of possible companies that have the job titles you are interested in.

2. Location – Are you planning to stay in the greater New York metropolitan area, or, are you moving to the West Coast or the Midwest or the South? If you are finance, there are several cities known for finance, New York and Chicago are two of them. If you are in IT there are several cities know for that, San Francisco being one of them, as well as the research triangle in North Carolina.

Do your research. Make a list of the companies in your preferred geographic location that have your job title.

3. Industry – Industries have many sub-sections and niche areas. If you are in communications – that may include digital media, television, publishing, print media. If you are in finance, that may include banking, wealth management, trading, investing, mortgages. If you are in non-profits, that may include NGOs, foundations, associations, colleges and universities. Be specific.

4. Numbers – How many positions with that job title exist in each company? If you are a CFO or CIO or CMO, there’s only one. If you are a middle manager there may be several or dozens, depending upon the size of the company. If you are just starting out, and want an entry level job, there may be a half dozen or a dozen or more positions.

5. Hiring Manager – Who is in a position to hire you if there were a position? Not HR, unless you want to work in recruiting, benefits, compensation. Find the name and contact information of the person two levels above the job title you are seeking. Write to ask for a meeting. Then call to get the meeting.

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