Getting your foot in the door is one of the oldest sayings in the book, but it rings true when you are trying to break into a new industry or land the dream job without any personal connections. The other favorite saying in corporate America, “its all about who you know.” But what if you don’t know anyone? Take it from us. Although it is great to already know players in the game, it’s never too late to start making introductions.
3 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door and Land Your Next Job
Here are your first three steps to getting your foot in the door and making those personal connections.
- Look at the open req you are eyeing and find someone who is a recruiter for the company and/or the hiring manager. Reach out with an informal email asking for a few minutes of their time to discuss the company. You’d be surprised at how well received that can be from your dream company. An important aspect to note: when writing this email, make sure your grammar is on point, spelling is tight, and you are getting straight to the point. If the email is unstructured, simple mistakes, and doesn’t flow, I wouldn’t hold your breath for a response. This is your first impression. Make it a good one.
- Don’t be afraid to ask friends, neighbors, acquaintances to help make introductions. Getting your foot in the door is the metaphor for putting something where it doesn’t belong to get ahead. That translates to having to go outside your comfort zone and be the extrovert you secretly want to be. Making small talk isn’t easy, but if you see your neighbor at the mailbox, and you know their career is one you’re interested in, strike up the conversation. Even if they don’t have a direct connection, it’s very possible they’d be willing to set you up with someone they know who does. It’s all about who you know, right? So, start building that network to work for you.
- This one is personal for me, so pay close attention. Here is how I got my foot in the door without knowing a soul in the intelligence industry. I found someone who had my dream job title and my dream job location/company. I sent them a message saying their career path is one I aspired to have and was hoping they had a few minutes for an informal interview where I could pick their brain to help get mine on the same path. The person was incredibly receptive and set up a 30-minute call with me the following week. I had my resume all set to go and asked for feedback. At the end of the call, the person was so impressed with my willingness to get my foot in the door, that they made some calls/emails on my behalf. Low and behold, I started on the same path as the person I was speaking with. They helped me out and that connection is one of my most important ones today.
It’s not easy putting yourself out there and wedging that foot in the door. My husband has a phrase he uses to bug me which is, “if you’re not cheating, you aren’t trying.” I love to re-word that in a more productive way that better serves us in this defense industry…” if you aren’t knocking on doors, none are going to open.” I will leave you with one final pun of advice to drive this home for you. Spend a little money to buy some nice shoes because you never know where your well-dressed foot is going to find the perfect door.
