Which key people should be the focus when identifying targets for direct outreach, bypassing the general HR inbox?
The Vice President, Director, or Manager of the department you’d want to join
The methodology for direct outreach explicitly advises bypassing the general HR inbox because general submissions are often inundated and fail to reach decision-makers regarding specific functional needs. The effective strategy requires researching organizations and then identifying the precise individuals who manage the team or function the candidate wishes to join. This means locating the Vice President, Director, or Manager within that specific department. Contacting these key people directly allows the candidate to frame their communication around solving the actual business problems the department faces, demonstrating expertise that a general HR screen would likely miss or undervalue.
