I want you(r division) to want (to hire) me
June 15, 2013 8:21 PM Subscribe
A division of a very large company does exactly what I'd like to be doing with my career. I'm currently retraining in a way that aligns me more closely with what they do. In the past, I've asked individual practitioners or heads of small companies in my (previous) field out for coffee to ask them for advice and to see whether they might have any opportunities for which I could be a good fit, but I don't know how to do this with a large company. Help!
It's a huge tech company and part of the work they do is with spatial and urban data – my background is spatial and urban, and I'm training in data/tech. I think what they're doing is important and interesting, and I feel like I could bring a lot to it. This department has a large base in my city, and it's steadily hiring. So far, so good, right?
Two challenges:
- Most of their hiring is aimed at PhDs (I'm an MSc) so none of their job adverts are a direct fit for me.
- I just don't know how to do this in a big company, there aren't any in my previous work! I can find the names of leaders within this division/group, I can find hiring managers, etc – I just don't know what I'm looking for.
Two counterpoints:
- However, as well as being happy to start at the bottom, I would have six months and a school project to use in developing particular skills if required to get in at that level. I have a strong resume from my previous work including lots of initiative, achievement, and exploration.
- I would actually be grateful for advice, and as I will need to find a placement in six months as part of my program, I would be grateful to know soon if the dream job is a non-starter at this point so that I can reset my expectations.
Please help, I'm a nervous child about this:
- Who should I be contacting?
- Should I do this by letter, email, phone?
- What should I say to make it easy for them to say yes?
It's a huge tech company and part of the work they do is with spatial and urban data – my background is spatial and urban, and I'm training in data/tech. I think what they're doing is important and interesting, and I feel like I could bring a lot to it. This department has a large base in my city, and it's steadily hiring. So far, so good, right?
Two challenges:
- Most of their hiring is aimed at PhDs (I'm an MSc) so none of their job adverts are a direct fit for me.
- I just don't know how to do this in a big company, there aren't any in my previous work! I can find the names of leaders within this division/group, I can find hiring managers, etc – I just don't know what I'm looking for.
Two counterpoints:
- However, as well as being happy to start at the bottom, I would have six months and a school project to use in developing particular skills if required to get in at that level. I have a strong resume from my previous work including lots of initiative, achievement, and exploration.
- I would actually be grateful for advice, and as I will need to find a placement in six months as part of my program, I would be grateful to know soon if the dream job is a non-starter at this point so that I can reset my expectations.
Please help, I'm a nervous child about this:
- Who should I be contacting?
- Should I do this by letter, email, phone?
- What should I say to make it easy for them to say yes?
"In the past, I've asked individual practitioners or heads of small companies in my (previous) field out for coffee to ask them for advice and to see whether they might have any opportunities for which I could be a good fit, but I don't know how to do this with a large company. Help!"
"Should I do this by letter, email, phone?"
If by phone who would you be calling, if by email who would you be emailing?
Have you scoured their web presence/presences for a place where they might post openings or internship opportunities? If their website was test.net I would google things like "site:test.net positions" "site:test.net internship" "site:test.net human resources" Might not even take searching. It could be there is a link on the bottom of their main page that is what you are looking for.
Have you looked in relevant trade magazines, directories, web sites?
If they are pretty formal it could be that mailing in a resume is the way to go. Finding a place where they have sought to fill positions before even if it doesn't show any positions currently available might give you clues about how they do things.
posted by logonym at 12:46 AM on June 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Should I do this by letter, email, phone?"
If by phone who would you be calling, if by email who would you be emailing?
Have you scoured their web presence/presences for a place where they might post openings or internship opportunities? If their website was test.net I would google things like "site:test.net positions" "site:test.net internship" "site:test.net human resources" Might not even take searching. It could be there is a link on the bottom of their main page that is what you are looking for.
Have you looked in relevant trade magazines, directories, web sites?
If they are pretty formal it could be that mailing in a resume is the way to go. Finding a place where they have sought to fill positions before even if it doesn't show any positions currently available might give you clues about how they do things.
posted by logonym at 12:46 AM on June 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mod note: From the OP:
Sorry, I should have said in the original question: I've been reading their website inside-out (and looking through my LinkedIn connections for anyone I know well enough there to ask for advice, no luck!), and they have internship and graduate programs in the wider company, but haven't had them in this very particular division to date. It's really a very large company and a small research-based division.posted by taz (staff) at 5:37 AM on June 16, 2013
My instinct is to send a polite email to HR, and I suppose I'm trying to see if that's a terrible idea. Apologies for nervously overcomplicating.
If it's Google, read this. Read the company's site at length, paying attention to all job postings to get a sense of how they hire. Is there a professional association for this profession? Join and be active. Is there a dominant software, like ArcGIS? Go to the annual conference. Gain expertise in any open source software that's an alternative in the field. Your best bet is to meet people, and conferences, developer groups, etc., are a good way to do this. If the target company has a strong culture, be conversant with that culture. Your goal is to get your placement with the company; your University should be helping with this. Ask faculty and Career Services for contacts and advice.
posted by theora55 at 8:48 AM on June 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 8:48 AM on June 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by xingcat at 8:33 PM on June 15, 2013