Sometimes you need to create your own job to get hired

Some people have had success by creating an idea for a new job at a company where they want to work and then pitching the company on why they need to hire them for the position.  Think about it from the perspective of a Sales Person.  A Sales Person has to pitch a product that a company may not know they need.

If you have a unique skillset or talent that the company doesn’t have and could benefit from, create a sales pitch on why they need to hire you.  It’s a proactive way to find a job.  Here are some of the things that I would do if I were going to create my own job at a company that didn’t know they needed me.

Describe their need for the job with a short 3 to 5 sentence statement.

One of the hardest things to do is get your foot in the door.  By creating a way to explain the need and gain the person’s interest, you’ll be one step closer. Think of yourself as an outside vendor offering a service.  Create a short sentence that summarizes what you do and the benefits of hiring you.  You need to be able to say this as well within a one- or two-minute quick pitch.  Make sure to throw in a couple of metrics about the benefits of working with you and why they need you.  Then convince them to set up an appointment to meet with you.  (This doesn’t have to go through HR.  If you are pitching a position in Marketing, pitch the head of Marketing; if they want you, they will go to HR with the hiring request.)

Find some metrics to measure your performance and create a timeline with goals and milestones.

One thing that will help make the case that the company needs to hire you is showing how long it will take for you to make an impact within their company and how they can measure your performance.  You’ll want to have these items in mind and use numbers and deadlines that are achievable and understandable to everyone who you will be pitching.  By giving them an outline of how you can help, you may not get hired as a full time employee, but you might end up getting a contract to start. You can pitch coming on board full time as an employee later on when you have proven yourself.

Identify the person you need to pitch your services to.

You have to remember that the company may not have realized that they need someone like you.  Because of this, the head of the department may not be the right person to pitch.  It could be a director or a manager.  Identify the decision maker in the department and find their contact information.  You can do that by looking at the company website, searching through social media sites or even just calling the receptionist and asking for the person who is in charge of the department or project you would be working on.

The job market can be rough and sometimes you need to take your job search to the next level.  Creating your own job at a company where you want to work and pitching yourself as a contractor for that role could become a temp-to-hire contract when you prove yourself.  Just remember to get through your pitch quickly and succinctly to get in the door.  Find the metrics that can measure your performance and value to the company.  Locate the person you are going to pitch and contact them to set up the appointment, then practice your pitch so you can go in and land the job.   Sometimes creating your own interview is the best way to get a job at a specific company if you really want to work for them.  It has definitely worked for me in the past and I know a few others it has worked for.  If you really want to work somewhere, give it a shot. It can’t hurt.

Hiring, HR, job, jobsearch, recruting, resume