Daniel Porot, one of Europe’s leading pioneers in career design and job hunting and a regular EMBA careers workshop presenter, recently enumerated his time-tested techniques for a disruptive approach to the job hunt.

Reverse-Engineering the Job Hunt

HEC Paris Executive MBA workshop presenter and living legend Daniel Porot gets you thinking outside the box about the job hunt. Here’s the crux of his timely (and timeless) disruptive approach to landing your dream job.

In the current state of affairs, the prospect of landing any job at all may seem to be an outlying event. Daniel Porot, one of Europe’s leading pioneers in career design and job hunting and a regular HEC Executive MBA careers-workshop presenter, recently enumerated his time-tested techniques for a disruptive approach to the job hunt.

To Porot, we all have preconceived notions when it comes to job hunting, but not all of them are correct. After all, what matters most? Is it a finely detailed resumé? An airtight cover letter? A glossy LinkedIn page?

What follows are excerpts from Porot’s in-demand workshop, with the do’s and don’ts of landing your dream job.

Is a change coming?

Be sure you start small. What you want to know first is if the proverbial grass is greener somewhere else. Your best recourse here is to take advantage of your networks.

In order to be crystal clear about what you’re looking for, articulate your goals. Porot says you need a clearly defined target: a function in a field.

A function is defined by a combination of skills, talents, and competencies – NOT a job title. A field is a topic of interest that you have. Don’t talk about the role or title you want; start with the field, and then define the function.

Job Hunting

The traditionally fertile job-hunt methods of preparing a CV, applying to advertised positions, and approaching the HR team at your target company is futile.

Your CV should be a tool, not a strategy. Make sure it is light and laser-focused; excess information means more of a chance of being screened out. Make it no longer than a page with no more than 3 bullet points per function. Speak your target organization’s language by adopting their vocabulary.

 Targeted Contact

The open job market only contains 20 percent of available openings. Don’t send a cover letter, Porot says. Instead, write a “false unsolicited letter” to the line manager; this can apply to calls or emails, too.

When you do, put yourself in the manager’s shoes. The secret to an unsolicited approach is to identify issues the company has. So, ask yourself: “If I were the line manager, what would I like to read?”

As a rule, your message should include 3 professional achievements. Two should be short-term wins; 1 should be a successful long-term goal. It’s important to keep your goals and expectations firmly in mind. In this exercise, you’re not looking for a job; your goal is a 20-minute interview with a decision maker.

You’re not looking for a job; your goal is a 20-minute interview.

Be aware of the hidden market for jobs; some 80 percent of available positions are hiding here. As tempting as it may be to send your CV to the HR department of your target company, don’t fall into the trap. Remember when dealing with HR that most are personnel managers, and not decision-makers with a deep, nuanced understanding of the role.

Be certain of to whom you send your CV. Otherwise, you only increase the risk of screening yourself out. With an HEC Paris Executive MBA, never get screened out for your dream job. Click here to find out if the program is the right fit for you.

Career Design expert Daniel Porot is one of Europe’s leaders in job hunting, recruitment, and career progress. Daniel and his team run workshops, seminars and conferences for top MBAs, EMBA’s, universities, multinational companies and governments across the world: Europe, U.S.A., Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.


More CEOs of Fortune Global 500 companies have graduated from HEC Paris than any other university in Europe, and nearly 4,000 graduates are currently CEOs, CFOs, or have founded their own companies. According to the Financial Times, the HEC Paris Executive MBA is ranked #1 in Europe and #3 in the world; click here to learn more about this world-class program.