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How to get in the best workplace

If you pay attention to the business media, you undoubtedly have seen more than one article about the country’s employers of choice. From Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list to Working Mother’s “Best Companies for Women of Color” feature, there is no shortage of help for professionals looking for reputable employers.

Locally, you may have come up with your own list of “best places to work” based on company reputation or local reports. So how can you get your foot in the door with the employers you respect and admire?

While they probably have more résumé traffic than other employers, there are still ways that you can put yourself at the top. Mark Mehler, co-founder of recruiting and technology consulting firm CareerXroads, offers some worthwhile tips:

1. Find a friend: Mehler says that the best way to get in at a company is by knowing someone who works there. “Never send a résumé to a company you really want to work for without giving it to a friend at the company first,” he says.

Why is this so important? The major American corporations receive thousands of résumés each year and may have a plethora of résumés in their databases. It may be a staggering feat to shine in this mass without a little nudge.

Talk to your neighbors, friends, friends of friends, former colleagues or professors. And what can you do if you don’t have a contact? “Go out and find somebody,” says Mehler. Attend chamber of commerce meetings, networking events or lectures. Join a local business exchange group. Even if you simply find someone who can tell you the name of the hiring manager, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

2. Do your research: If you really want to work at a particular company, you have to go the extra mile to know the company and what they want. This means going beyond reading the job description and browsing the Web site.

Mehler says you need to research the company as much as possible. Read the local newspaper to find out news about the company. Search online or at the library to learn about its past challenges, recent news and future opportunities. Ask others around you about the company’s business.

3. Create a tailored résumé: Mehler says you must tailor your résumé based on what you know and what the company needs. “Plain vanilla résumés don’t work,” he says. You need to do what you can to ensure your résumé will get through the company’s applicant tracking system, which is software that is used to sort and scan résumés for further review.

Your résumé should specifically answer the company’s job description or help wanted ad. Make sure you include the keywords and phrases from the job description. This will help your résumé get past the machines and into human hands.

4. Be prepared … always: You never know when you are going to get a phone call from the company of your dreams. That’s why you must always be ready to perform. Still tired from a big night out? That doesn’t mean you can answer the phone like you’re still half asleep. Be ready to sell yourself at any time. Mehler also says you need to take all company tests and screeners seriously. Feel like breezing through the online questionnaire or taking it easy during a pre-screening phone interview? These are tools recruiters use to knock out the poor candidates. “The cream rises to the top,” Mehler says.

It might seem like a daunting task to get into a company that everyone else is targeting. But daunting does not mean impossible. Just remember that if you know what they need and effectively show them that you have it, you will be closer to reaching your career goals.