The Employers You’re Skipping Could Have the Job You Want
You see a hospital on a career fair’s employer list and move on because you work in finance. A retailer appears in your search results, but you want a technology role. You pass over both before opening a single job description.
You may have good reasons to rule out an employer. The commute could be too long, or the pay could fall below what you need. But “they probably don’t hire people like me” deserves a closer look.
An employer’s name tells you who runs the business. It rarely tells you the full range of work happening inside it.
Check what the employer actually hires for
The jobs you encounter as a customer are the easiest to associate with a company. They can also give you an incomplete picture.
Take Slate Auto. The automaker has advertised roles on TalentAlly such as Internal IT Auditor and HR Operations Partner. The audit role focused on technology controls and cybersecurity risks, while the HR role involved employee onboarding and maintaining workforce data. Those responsibilities may be familiar to candidates who have never worked for a vehicle manufacturer.
If your background is in IT audit or HR operations, an automotive employer could be relevant to your search. You still need to check each position’s requirements, including any industry experience it asks for.
You can browse Slate Auto jobs on TalentAlly to see the company’s current listings.
Change one part of your search
If every search starts with the same companies, try keeping your target role and changing the employer pool.
For example, someone with email marketing experience could search for “email marketing specialist” across industries, then try “CRM coordinator” and “lifecycle marketing.” Those titles can lead to different responsibilities and experience levels, so read each description carefully.
You can also search by work you already do. If your job involves reconciling invoices, try “accounts payable.” If you maintain employee records and organize onboarding, look at “HR coordinator.” Use the results to learn which titles describe your experience most accurately.
Start with a job title or skill and your location. Give unfamiliar employer names a look when the actual work matches your goals.
Keep the practical filters that matter to you. Expanding your employer list should still leave you with jobs you could realistically accept.
Separate unfamiliar work from an unfamiliar industry
Finding a familiar job title at a new kind of employer is encouraging. Now check how much of the work you could actually do.
Read the responsibilities first. Then examine the requirements. Does the posting ask for experience with the tasks you have performed, or does it require specialized knowledge you have yet to develop?
An accounting role might involve familiar reconciliation work but also require industry-specific reporting experience. A technology position might use tools you know while requiring knowledge of systems you have never supported.
Pay attention to whether a qualification is required or preferred. If the distinction is unclear, make it a question for the recruiter.
When you apply, describe the relevant work plainly. Someone moving from retail into an administrative role might include this accurate bullet, if it reflects their experience:
Maintained weekly staff schedules, updated time off records, and coordinated coverage when employees were absent.
That gives the reader something concrete to evaluate. Keep your actual job title and make the connection through your responsibilities.
Use career fairs to ask about the work
An employer list can feel less relevant when you recognize only a few names or associate most companies with other professions.
Before attending career fairs, check the participating employers’ openings. Alongside your first choices, pick a few organizations with roles you would normally overlook.
You can begin a conversation with a specific question:
“I have experience in scheduling and administrative support. Are you recruiting for roles in those areas, and which titles should I look for?”
If you found a relevant posting, ask about that position. For example:
“I saw the project coordinator opening. How much industry experience does the team expect someone to have when they start?”
The recruiter may cover only certain departments. Ask where to find the relevant openings or whether there is another recruiting contact. Afterward, use your notes to write a brief follow-up that references the role you discussed.
Give one overlooked employer a proper look
Choose one employer you recently skipped. Search its openings for the work you want, then read one relevant posting closely.
If it looks promising, investigate the team. This guide to targeting teams offers questions to help you understand the manager’s expectations and the work you would take on.
You may still decide to pass. You may also find a role that belongs on your shortlist. Either way, you will be making that decision with more useful information than a company name.
