Finding Target Companies to Network Into

I recently got an e-mail from Devin Thorpe of MidMarketMaven, who said "This list includes over 100 great companies for finding jobs." It had an attachment with the 100 companies that received awards and recognitions for fast-growing local companies from the Mountain West Capital Network (MWCN).

I would have loved to have a list like this handed to me with my last paycheck! Remember, when I got let go I was fairly new to the state, and didn’t know what companies I should approach. I would drive down the highway and list the companies that had signs, but there had to be thousands of companies that I would miss, right?

The cool thing about the list I got from Devin is that all the companies listed are local movers and shakers. They are probably funded, financially healthy, or growing so fast that they may need financial or accounting help (accountants and money people: hint hint!). In other words, these are all companies that may need YOUR services!

This is pretty cool – especially if you live in Utah! But you can find the same kind of list wherever you live. For example, a search on "Colorado 100 businesses" shows a number of lists, including "public based," "fastest growing," etc. Obviously you can substitute your own state in that search term.

Another excellent way to find companies that you should network into is to look for venture capital firms that have a recognition program like MWCN. For example, another Utah firm, vSpring, has a program they call V|100. You can see the 100 companies that they recognize right on their website. Other VC firms have similar awards.

Let’s take it one step further – do a search for a local VC firm and check out what companies they are funding. These are called portfolio companies, and VC’s love to brag about who’d in their portfolio. I searched on "New Mexico venture capital," and came across Flywheel Ventures. They have a link to their portfolio which shows about 20 companies, in various states (including Utah, Montana, California and of course, New Mexico). I have yet to come across a VC firm that doesn’t list their portfolio.

Finding companies that you need to network your way into is the easy part! Once you determine what your target companies are, the fun begins! Pick up the phone, use LinkedIn, find names from Google and start developing new relationships!

Good luck!

Jason Alba is the job seeker's advocate (and aren't we all job seekers?). He got laid off in January 2006, just a few weeks after Christmas. Even though he had great credentials and it was a job-seeker’s market, Jason could hardly get a job interview. Finally he decided to step back and figure out the job search process, including trying to understand all of the available resources. Within a few months he had designed a personal job search tool, JibberJobber.com, which helps professionals manage career and job search activities the same way a salesman manages prospects and customer data. Get a free account at www.JibberJobber.com and begin managing your career right now. Jason blogs at www.JibberJobber.com/blog, recently celebrated his first blog birthday  and a book called "I'm on LinkedIn -- Now What??" You can learn more about his book by clicking here.

Contact Jason at JasonA@TheNationalNetworker.com or TNNW Blog.
 

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