Lots of jobs sound great. You may think you know what a position entails by reading a job description on sites like the Occupational Outlook Handbook or advertisements for open positions on job boards or company sites.

Truth is, you probably don’t.

For years I wanted to be a writer. I went to school nights and worked days pursuing my dream. When I graduated I found a job as an assistant editor of a national four-color trade magazine. I was in heaven.

Turns out, I did get to do a lot of writing. I worked for a boss who was also a mentor. She taught me how to be a professional writer. I got to do cool things like work with the photographer during shoots for the magazine cover. I also got to type the shipping labels for the products when it came time to return them to the manufacturers. One at a time. On a typewriter.

While I loved that job, it was hardly as glamorous as I thought it would be. You may find that about your dream job too.

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A slew of questions came in after a recent presentation on resume writing. Most of them were specifically related to the participant’s job search. But one stood out for its relevance to everyone who’s looking for a new opportunity.

The question was, “How do I get in front of the employer?”

Of course, the short answer is network your way in. But how?

Here are a few ways to connect with people at your target employer.

Facebook

Today many companies have corporate Facebook pages. This is a place where you may be able to find job postings and maybe even connect with recruiters. Some companies have pages specifically to reach out to potential candidates. A review of Citibank’s Citi Jobs page found several positons and information about their presence at a career fair.

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