How to Get a Job That Doesn't Exist

Step 1: Find a company you know you can help
I had Lisa research several companies that she knew she could help with their PR. Her job was to identify ones A) that could seriously benefit from a PR campaign, and B) for which she got really excited about building a campaign. In doing so, Lisa learned the first rule to connecting with a potential employer: Figure out specifically how you can add value to their organization (i.e. make them more money, or save them money). Lisa found three places in town she felt certain she could help. In fact, she had completed several internships in school and felt confident she could use what she learned to achieve similar results for these companies.

Step 2: Forget a cover letter; build your pitch letter
Since these companies weren't actively hiring, a cover letter and résumé weren't going to get Lisa in the door. Instead, she needed to create a pitch, something she learned as a PR major, to get the employer to see how she could help. In this letter, she offered to do a specific PR campaign for the company. She outlined how many hours it would take her to complete, what she intended to accomplish and what she would normally charge per hour to do this. Then, she explained she would like to offer this service for free in exchange for a reference or future consideration for hire. She also mentioned if they were truly pleased with the results and wanted to pay her something at the end, she would leave it up to them as to what they thought would be fair compensation. Then she printed it up, along with her résumé, and dropped them off in person at each establishment.

Step 3: Be patient and persistent
While job seekers' main priority is getting an employer to contact them, they have to remember the employer is busy with other things. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean they should give up after one try.

In sales, they say the average number of contacts it takes to make a sale is nine. It actually makes sense. How many times does it take us to meet with someone before we feel really comfortable that we know them well? And yet, how many job seekers actually stay in touch with an employer they'd like to work for long enough to make that happen?

At the same time, you don't want to be pushy. The key is to check back every so often, adding more value each time you do. For example, a week after Lisa dropped off her proposal, she followed up with an e-mail to each place, sharing some links to articles regarding the value of PR programs to companies like theirs. This action prompted one of them to contact her.

Step 4: Confirm the details of the offer and set expectations
Lisa set up a meeting with the company's owner. In that meeting, she was able to stress again that payment could be in the form of a reference or consideration for future employment, or they could pay her what they thought was fair. They chose the days and times she would come into the office to complete the work (she actually had a part-time waitressing job that was paying the bills), and also identified whom she would connect with in the office (the equivalent to a manager) to get answers to questions and gain feedback on her work to ensure it exceeded their expectations. The owner accepted the terms and she started immediately.

I'm sure you all can imagine what happened next. During the project, Lisa got to know the owner and his staff better, since the work required her to engage with them. They were impressed with her enthusiasm and her ability to work in their environment. By the time she was done with the project, she had a job offer. One of the other companies she had pitched also called her at that point and asked to meet her, but she opted to take the full-time job instead.