“Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve tackled every new big problem the same way: by starting off with two questions…Who has dealt with this problem? And what can we learn from them?” ~Bill Gates
If you’re in leadership at a company, this is terrific advice. But it also can help you in your job search:
~ If you’re targeting a specific company (let’s say it’s Microsoft since I’m quoting Bill Gates), there are people who have just been hired. Network your way to them and gain their advice and guidance about why they got hired. What was the company looking for? What were their challenges? You can learn a lot from someone who just wen through the process.
~ If you’re wanting to move into what is a new industry for you, someone has already done that. Follow the same path to gain insights about how this person navigated these challenges. How did they showcase their “transferrable skills”, for example? What homework did they do to gain an understanding of key industry trends?
Most every challenge you are facing in your job search has been addressed by someone else. Take the advice of Mr. Gates and learn from those who have set at path of success before you.
Mark Hirschfeld 
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