Identify Your Target Companies
TARGET COMPANY RESOURCES
JOB POSTING TRACKER & CAREER GRID
The Job Posting Tracker and Career Grid is used in the Bridge to Success Class assignment on identifying your target companies. Download your own copy of the Job Tracker & Career Grid here.
RESEARCHING COMPANIES ON YOUR LIST
There are a wide variety of resources available for researching companies at the Thomas Mahaffey, Jr. Business Library. A good place to start is here.
LAMP LIST
The purpose of this section is to provide a reference primer for completing your Target Company List (aka your “LAMP” List as Steve Dalton refers to in The 2 Hour Job Search). This information is intended to complement "Identifying Your Target Companies" module held during the Bridge to Success course or in the "Jumpstart Your Job Search" workshop held in the second semester.
NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: You should use the second tab of the LAMP Template which includes a special column to identify a company's willingness to sponsor for U.S. work authorization. Be sure to use the second tab of the LAMP template which contains an additional column labeled “Int’l Prospects”. 3= sponsors, 2 = might sponsor, 1 = does not sponsor
Download your own copy of the LAMP Template here
LAMP List Column Summary
“L"ist Column Completion Instructions Summary
(Dalton p. 216) Summary of 4 Approaches for populating your “L"ist column: [Dalton suggests spending no more than 10 minutes / per approach – in other words move quickly through this exercise so you don’t overanalyze at this point in the process]
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Dream Employer: List any desired employers that come to mind, then think of common traits shared by dream employers and not other employers who meet similar criteria.
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Alumni Approach*: Search alumni databases (e.g., LinkedIn, DOME, Irish Compass, My Notre Dame/Alumni & Friends) for organizations where alumni hold interesting jobs that might appeal to you.
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Posting Approach*: Search Handshake, CareerShift (which includes Indeed results), DOME, and/or LinkedIn for additional ideas of organizations with currently available job postings with roles that may be appropriate for you.
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Trend Following Approach: Google trends in industries or functions of interest (e.g., “marketing trends”, “energy consulting”, etc.) for additional employer ideas.
*Reminder: It’s important to avoid context-switching and not get distracted by capturing alumni and/or specific job information as you complete your LAMP List If you see something particularly interesting, just bookmark it on this pass and come back to it later. The goal again is to move relatively quickly through this exercise.
“A”lumni Column Completion Instructions Summary
Search the University of Notre Dame and Mendoza College of Business Alumni Pages in LinkedIn for the each of the employers you listed in the first column. If they have an ND alumni (or if another ally from within your existing network is at the employer), populate this column with a “Yes” otherwise, mark it with a “No”. (Again don’t get distracted with capturing specific alumni info at this point.)
“M”otivation Column Completion Instructions Summary
(Dalton pp. 53-54) Go with your gut for now. You will revise this as your search evolves. 3 = most motivating (“dream employers”) / 2 = familiar with but less motivated / 1 = unfamiliar with
“P”osting Column Completion Instruction Summary
(Dalton pp. 60-64) The goal of this step is to go back through your list now, and search your companies for associated job postings. (Recommended: Handshake or CareerShift for this initial exercise the first time you complete your LAMP list. CareerShift includes Indeed as the broadest subset of the available data.) You may also check DOME data if you change your filters to also include past jobs that have been posted to get an idea for what postings have historically been available (since live internship and/or full-time jobs that may be relevant for you may not necessarily be active at the beginning of the year when you are first completing this exercise. (Again the goal is not to apply or get mired in details here. Don’t spend more than 20 minutes on this piece for your first time. If you see something interesting, you can bookmark it for later.)
Sorting Your LAMP List for Priority:
The “Power Rating” column will be automatically calculated based upon these preceding columns to allow you to sort for relative priority as a means to help you target your time in your search efforts. Keep in mind that your LAMP list should be a living document that you revisit and update as appropriate throughout your job search journey.
Special Note for International Students:
Be sure to use the second tab of the LAMP template which contains an additional column labeled “Int’l Prospects”. 3= sponsors, 2 = might sponsor, 1 = does not sponsor
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A firm’s willingness to sponsor cannot be ignored
- Some companies are 100% willing to sponsor
- Some are 100% unwilling to sponsor
- Some will sponsor for only specific roles
- It’s not always easy to figure out which of the above three buckets into which a company fits
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Leverage all available resources (coaches, friends, networking contacts, digital systems such as, Handshake, Career Shift, Google, etc.) to gather intelligence
- In Handshake you can filter job postings by: Will sponsor or doesn't require US work visa and/or Accepts OPT/CPT
- If you don’t know, go for it! (Some companies will advertise that they do not sponsor, but will actually do so if they find the right candidate)
- Be ready to flex if you find out the company doesn’t sponsor
- Don’t waste precious time & energy targeting doors that are closed
- Another strategy includes applying to home country office for global companies
- More information can be found under the International Student Resources link at the bottom of the page