Bonnie had noted earlier that those of us looking for geeky jobs may want to search our own back yards for them before assuming we have to move (easier for some of us than others, says the guy living in Silicon Valley). I wanted to add to her excellent post by nothing that there's a tool that makes it even easier.
LinkedIn.com.
Yes, LinkedIn.Com is one of my crush objects, but with good reason – one of many reasons being it's Company search function. If you want to find jobs and companies in your own backyard, here's what you'll want to try (go on, give it a shot even if you're not looking);
First, log into LinkedIn.com. If you don't have an account, first let me shame you, then go create one.
Second, look at the menu bar at the very top and select "Companies." You'll find a search screen with a simple "company name or Keyword" section and a Location dropdown.
Third, select "Located in or near" in the Location dropdown and you can select country and a postal code. Select your country and postal code, and press search
You'll get a list of companies near you, which includes:
- Your level of connection in your network.
- The name with a link
- If any jobs are posted on LinkedIn.com
- The general location.
- The amount of employees.
You've just gotten a quick overview of local companies (at least in the LinkedIn.com database), how connected you are, and a wealth of extra data. If you've build a good network, you'd be surprised how connected you may be.
For a minutes work, you can now get a snapshot of places to apply, people to network with, and more. All in your own backyard.
Give it a shot, and remember the more you build your network, the more ins you have at the companies you find!
– Steven Savage