The first order of business is to define the perfect job, with the word “job” encompassing the industry, company characteristics and job function. If you already have experience in a given industry, perhaps you want to continue leveraging your skills and experience. Or perhaps you’ve been in the same industry for so many years that you really need a change of scenery. In any case, try to hone in on a short list of industries (perhaps 2-3) that get you the most excited and seem to have good growth potential. Then, do some basic research to confirm your assumptions. With the Internet as a tool, find out what the analysts and major trade associations are saying. Who are the leaders in the industry? Are they totally dominant or is there room for smaller companies to take a foothold?
Once you have a short list of industries, it’s time to target companies in that industry. Assuming you already know which city you want to work in (whether it’s where you already live or some place you would like to relocate), find out which companies have their headquarters there or at least some meaningful presence. The exception is a territory sales job, which are spread all over the place. Using the Internet again (company’s website, trade articles, local online business journals), gather information about these companies. Some recommended data points to gather are listed below: