Have you ever "targeted" a company for a job?

Has any of you "targeted" a specific company you always wanted to work for by keeping tabs on their open positions and applying repeatedly in order to get in?
So far I have gotten in the companies I was offered a job for but never made it a mission to work for a specific company. Does anyone do that or you just go by what you can get?

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networker050184

Sure I've targeted companies. I've even contacted them when they didn't have any positions open that fit my needs to keep me in mind if they do. Worked out once so far. They hit me up a few months later.

E Double U

I wouldn't say that I've always wanted to work for my current employer, but I did reach out to them when I didn't see any jobs I liked on their website. I was interested since they are based out of the same city that I reside in so I sent my resume to their HR dept. I got a response regarding the Info Sec Analyst role that I currently hold. The CISO was impressed to receive a resume from a qualified applicant that wasn't referred by an employee or went through a recruiter.

gespenstern

Well... I'm trying to apply to Microsoft for about half a year. No success, not a single reply.

And I'm pretty sure that I'm smarter than some folks already working for MS. But still I'm doing it wrong, apparently, lol

SpetsRepair

I have and it didn't turn out well. I wasn't really qualified at the time and they found that out during the interview; however, i still keep an eye on this company and i will be applying again soon.

Interviewed 2014 they wanted someone with a ccna and i didn't have it at the time.

xenodamus

Absolutely. I was hired at my last company after specifically keeping an eye on their openings and sending a hard copy of my resume/cover letter to their management when I saw something I wanted. I landed my current position after purposefully developing relationships with vendor reps, knowing that I'd like to move into that space. When people ask how I landed a job here I tell them I never turned down a lunch meeting.

However, I must add that if you repeatedly apply for a variety of positions, you can give HR and management a bad vibe. Make sure your applications are thoughtful and for positions that you really could see yourself in.

techfan21

I have and while it didnt turn out well I still want to work for the company I like the hours they offer for their IT help desk positions and if I can get the chance to work in these industry that the company specializes in I feel it will look good on my resume.

aderon

I've been targeting one company ever since I started my IT career. I've been using their job postings as a guide for what type of experience and education I should acquire. I'll let you know how it goes once I apply in December lol (I should have my bachelors by then).

Shoe Box

I'm keeping an eye on a few data centers in my area, including one that is part of a company I used to work at a few years ago. One of them will hire me so I can gain more IT and data center experience, they just don't know it yet. I drive through a few of their parking lots now and then. During business hours if I happen to be in the area. I know that some of them have security cameras covering the parking lot, and I don't care.

When does job hunting become job stalking?

JustFred

Shoe Box wrote: »

I'm keeping an eye on a few data centers in my area, including one that is part of a company I used to work at a few years ago. One of them will hire me so I can gain more IT and data center experience, they just don't know it yet. I drive through a few of their parking lots now and then. During business hours if I happen to be in the area. I know that some of them have security cameras covering the parking lot, and I don't care.

When does job hunting become job stalking?

Reading this made me laugh. You got to do what you got to do. I usually stalk them online by checking out what they are up to a few times a week.
Hahahahaha

scaredoftests

Yes, I do.

Blackout

Building connections is really really important when you target major companies. I have gotten a few of my friends shortlisted for interviews at Cisco Systems and a few of them landed jobs. Perfect example as I was working in TAC I received a Case in which the client was federal side, so I had to contact the federal space at Cisco to get insight into weather the case with miscued to us in error, sure enough as soon as he found out that I had a Clearance he was like " Dude why aren't you in the federal space?" and the rest is history.

5ekurity

First company I ever worked for, I must have applied 6-7 times for various jobs just to get in the door. As fate would have it, my first 'big kid' job was working their IT Help Desk for two years. Then I went into an Incident Management position for another 6.5 years until I had to leave to keep moving ahead. Overall it was not bad, but not as good of a place as I had hoped especially when I saw how the internal politics worked. Made some excellent friends there, definitely don't regret the experience.

Shoe Box

At one company I used to work at -- I doubt I’d actually do it, but the thought has occurred to me to hire a private investigator to follow one of the managers from their place at work, to see where they go. Then I could coordinate it to just happen to be by coincidence, in the same supermarket or gas station, for example, while they are on their way home from work, and kick start a conversation like “Hi how are you? I’m fine. I’ve been doing more and more IT work the last few years and just got my first Cisco certification, and I’d be really interested in reapplying to the company to work in the data center or network operations, you think there’s any way I could be considered for this”?

Or do like they did in Season 5 of Breaking Bad and put one of those GPS trackers on their car, and figure it out myself.

SpetsRepair

Shoe Box wrote: »

I doubt I’d actually do it, but the thought has occurred to me to hire a private investigator to follow a couple managers from their place at work, to see where they go. Then I could coordinate it to just happen to be by coincidence, in the same supermarket or gas station, for example, while they are on their way home from work, and kick start a conversation like “Hi how are you? I’m fine. I’ve been doing more and more IT work the last few years and just got my first Cisco certification, and I’d be really interested in reapplying to the company to work in the data center or network operations, you think there’s any way I could be considered for this”?

That's actually really creepy

Also i was shopping one day and i saw a person that interviewed and trained me, They couldn't get their eyes off me. I wasn't hired and it wasn't their decision but sacramento isn't that big of a place and it was a big coincidence to run into them. No i didn't say hello nor did i have any interest in speaking with them. They were the trainier and not the person in charge of hiring. I had to take a technical test and failed by one question, they didn't allow a retest.

slee335

5ekurity wrote: »

First company I ever worked for, I must have applied 6-7 times for various jobs just to get in the door. As fate would have it, my first 'big kid' job was working their IT Help Desk for two years. Then I went into an Incident Management position for another 6.5 years until I had to leave to keep moving ahead. Overall it was not bad, but not as good of a place as I had hoped especially when I saw how the internal politics worked. Made some excellent friends there, definitely don't regret the experience.

I am thinking about doing this for one company. my friend told me he did the same thing he like the company so much that he applied to every position they had open and the got called for a one now his in doing systems for that company.

5ekurity

slee335 wrote: »

I am thinking about doing this for one company. my friend told me he did the same thing he like the company so much that he applied to every position they had open and the got called for a one now his in doing systems for that company.

Just make sure the company you are targeting will give you the opportunity to move around once you are in, and you've met your current job requirements to switch positions internally. I know guys that used to be on phones all day who are now lead system engineers.

broli720

I am actually currently in the same situation. I've been targeting GE for the past 2 months. I have an onsite interview with them next week.