What is a Hiring Manager?

In “Getting the Best Job of Your Life” I put a huge amount of emphasis on Hiring Managers. These people are the key to landing great jobs.  But who are the Hiring Managers, exactly? A Hiring Manager is anyone who decides who gets to work in a place of employment. This person might not necessarily have the title of “manager,” but he or she oversees the workings of a department or an organization and makes those choices. A Hiring Manager can even create a job for the right candidate in the right circumstances.

It’s important to correctly identify who the Hiring Manager is when you are approaching a company.  It may not be the person who heads up a department. It might be the Vice President he reports to. It might be the store owner, not the Floor Manager. Sometimes you need to do some detective work and ask around. So, don’t waste time in your search. If you have a contact at a company, ask them to help you identify the person who has the power to get you a job there.