Question: You have said that the key to a successful job search is to contact the person you would work for within an organization and to show how you can help out. How can I find the manager who has the problems I’ll be able to solve?

Nick's reply: Your challenge as a job hunter is not to apply to lots of open jobs. It is to carefully target the manager whom you can help the most. To find a manager who really needs you, it's best to triangulate.

That is, talk to people who know and work for managers who may be relevant to your job search. This includes less obvious contacts, like a company's customers and vendors. Read business articles to learn what problems the entire industry is grappling with. Often, these articles will mention names of people who work for or know the company. Call them. Explain that you are interested in their industry and their company.

These are the people best positioned to introduce you to the right manager. These peripheral people will also help you prepare for a knowledgeable discussion with the hiring manager.

Here's the key: Do not ask for a job lead. Ask intelligent questions based on what you've read, like a peer would. What advice would these folks give someone who wants to work in their business and perhaps for their company?

These discussions will lead to people who will bring you closer to a particular manager's inner circle.

When you're talking to people who work for the manager, you're getting the information you really need (and a possible introduction).

When headhunters search for good job candidates, they first study the business by talking to people in it. These discussions open doors to the right candidates. Just as naturally, your research on a company's problems and challenges will lead you to people who know the right managers.

Yep, this is a lot of work. But so is that great job you want. There's no better way to show your initiative, or to get an edge on your competition, than to find and meet the manager.