What You Need to Remember
Use programs that automatically look through job markets for you. This lets you save your time and effort for building real connections instead of just searching for names.
Set up notifications for company news or when leaders change jobs. This helps you be the first person to reach out with a helpful message exactly when a new chance appears.
Only set up alerts for specific business types and job titles. This makes sure you only get alerts that are actually important and match what you want for your career.
Plan for a short, regular time slot each week to check your alerts and send a few personal messages. This turns the automatic information into real talks with people.
Checking Your LinkedIn Approach
Most working people use LinkedIn alerts like they are just receiving digital birthday cards. They wait for a notice saying someone got a promotion. By then, everyone already knows. They confuse being polite with being powerful. This is falling into the "Too Slow" trap. If you are only reacting to news that is already public, you are just adding to the noise. By the time you see the alert, the real chance has already been taken by someone quicker.
In the high-level business world, networking is really about "Using Information Better Than Others." The main goal is to spot big changes happening inside a company before they become public knowledge. When a main leader moves to a new business, they usually have about three months to change their team and pick new important partners. If you don't hear about that move on the day it happens, you lose the chance to be the trusted expert who helps them build their new team. Missing these chances doesn't just slow down your job search; it can cost you a lot of potential lifetime earnings and weaken your professional reputation.
The real problem isn't that you lack skills, but that decision-makers are too busy or focused on what they already know ("Status Quo Bias"). Research consistently shows around 70% of positions are filled before they're ever posted publicly, through referrals, direct outreach, and relationships built before a role even exists (The Interview Guys, 2024). Most top jobs are created specifically for certain people the moment a leader has a problem they need to fix. If you rely on HR or just sending in an application, you are stuck in a system meant to keep you out. You aren't competing against a person; you are fighting against the tendency to hire whoever comes to mind first when the money is approved.
To win, you must switch to "Intelligence Based on Triggers." This means stopping the amateur search for job titles and starting the expert work of watching for market entry points. Automation finds that "Perfect Moment" for you: the 48-hour window when a leader is newly in charge but hasn't hired a recruiter yet. That's how you skip the gatekeepers. Stop doing the usual, boring "networking" and start using tools to get important information faster, claiming your spot before the door even closes.
What Are LinkedIn Saved Searches?
A LinkedIn saved search is a stored query that automatically alerts you when new profiles or job postings match your criteria. Combined with Google Alerts for company news and LinkedIn's "Changed jobs in the last 90 days" filter, they form the backbone of trigger-based networking: a system that finds the right moment to reach out before anyone else knows an opening exists.
Most professionals set up one generic job alert and call it done. This guide takes a different approach. Instead of waiting for job postings, you track people: new leaders who just changed roles, executives at target companies, and former colleagues who've moved somewhere new. Each alert is a signal. Each signal opens a 48-hour window where the right message reaches the right person before the gatekeepers are in place. For a complete breakdown of alert systems across platforms, see our guide to setting up smart job alerts.
The Fast-Paced System for Finding Contacts
Don't look for jobs that are officially open. Instead, look for people who are starting at "Day Zero" in a new role. When a new boss starts, they have a mission to make changes. DDI research puts the annual executive transition rate at 35%, meaning roughly one in three leadership positions changes hands each year. Each one creates a need for new people. Your goal is to find these people the second they update their profile, catching them before they have time to write a job description.
On LinkedIn, use the "All Filters" search. Set your "Current Company" to your top 10 companies you want to work for, and then filter by "Spotlights" to show people who "Changed jobs in the last 90 days." Save this search and turn on weekly email alerts. This gives you a list of every new leader who is looking for fast successes and hasn't gotten into a set routine yet.
"Hello [Name], I saw you recently started leading the [Department] at [Company]. Usually, the first 90 days are very busy finding gaps and planning what to do next. I've spent the last few years helping with [Specific Problem] and would love to share a few things I've learned that might save you time during your change. No sales pitch—just a quick hello."
Recruiters often find out about a job opening last. By the time a job is posted, the hiring manager has probably spent weeks already frustrated. If you contact them in their first month, you aren't just an applicant; you are a solution to a problem they haven't even had time to tell HR about yet.
News doesn't last long. The "Best Time to Act" is the 48 hours after a "Trigger Event" (like a company getting a new investment or a former boss moving to a rival). You must automate your information gathering so you can respond while the leader is still figuring things out and hasn't put up barriers like assistants and recruiters.
Set up "Google Alerts" for your target companies using words like "Series B," "Buyout," or "Expansion." Also, check the "Alumni" page of your old companies on LinkedIn and see "Where they work now." If an old coworker gets a promotion elsewhere, reach out right away. They already trust you, and now they have the money to hire you.
"Congrats on the new job, [Name]! I saw the news about [Company’s] recent funding/growth. Knowing what you did at [Old Company], I imagine you need to grow the team fast. I have some ideas on how to skip the usual hiring delays in this market. Are you free for a quick 10-minute chat next week?"
Most managers dislike the official hiring process because it’s slow and risky. They would much rather hire someone they know or a referral from a trusted friend. When you act fast based on a trigger, you are helping the manager skip the "Corporate System" that they find just as annoying as you do.
Even if you send the perfect first message, a busy leader might miss it. Automation isn't just about the first contact; it’s about staying remembered without being annoying. You need a system that reminds them of your value exactly when they start realizing they can't handle the job alone.
For every contact you make, set a "Calendar Reminder" for 21 days later. If they haven't replied, don't ask for a job again. Instead, send them "News About the Industry." This could be a related article, a competitor's move, or a short thought about their new company. This changes you from "Someone looking for a job" to "Someone who gives smart advice." For deeper research on tracking industry moves, see how to use LinkedIn for competitive intelligence.
"Hi [Name], I found this report on [Industry Trend] and immediately thought of what you’re starting at [Company]. Page 4 has a great look at how [Competitor] is dealing with [Problem]. Hope the first month is going well—I’d still like to connect when things calm down a bit."
We often see people not replying as a sign they aren't interested, but usually, it just means the manager is too busy. If you keep trying but provide real value (instead of just saying "checking in"), it shows us you have the right skill level and follow-through needed for senior roles. It proves you know how to manage up.
How Our Tool Helps Your Automated Approach
For Reaching Out
Networking HelperAn AI assistant to help you write strong, personal messages for busy leaders during those "Perfect Moments."
For First Impressions
Profile WriterUses AI to turn your resume into a great profile with a headline that grabs attention, making you look like the solution.
For Staying Organized
Job TrackerTurns your networking efforts into a visual chart, sending reminders for 21-day follow-ups so you never forget an important contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too pushy to message someone on day one?
Waiting actually hurts your chances.
By the time a leader is "settled," they have already thought about people they worked with before or hired a recruiter to find people to replace others.
The first 48 hours are when they are most open (The "Attention Gap" is wide). They are busy, looking at tons of problems, and they haven't put up a wall of assistants and HR people yet. You aren't "bothering" them; you are offering a quick fix.
Your message should not just say "Congrats." It should be:
- "I noticed you took charge of [Company]'s [Department]. Knowing your goal is to [fix X/grow Y], I have a specific idea to solve [Problem Z]. Let’s chat before your schedule gets packed."
Acting fast shows them you are highly capable.
What if a leader tells me to just apply online?
If you get sent to the online application, you didn't show enough immediate value.
A leader only sends you to HR when they don't see you as the answer to their urgent issue. HR is there to filter people out; the "Best Time to Act" is about skipping that filter completely.
If they point you to the website, it means your message focused too much on you* and not enough on *their needs.
Don't just "apply." Instead, immediately change the topic.
- Reply with a specific piece of information or a "short report" about a challenge their new team is facing.
If you offer enough "Information Better Than Others"—data or answers they don't have—they will take you out of the HR pile and schedule time with you directly.
How do I find triggers for companies with no public news?
You might be looking for the wrong kind of information.
You don't need a press release to see a major change; you need to track the "People Leaving and People Joining."
Tracking People Leaving:
- Set your saved searches to notify you when anyone at the Manager level or higher leaves that company. When a key person leaves, it often means a budget opens up or a business plan is about to change.
Tracking People Joining (Your Inside Contacts):
- Track your old coworkers and see where they move to next. If a former colleague joins that quiet company, they are your "Inside Helper."
Don't wait for a job ad to tell you something is happening. The moment a key person leaves or a friend joins, the tendency to stick with what's normal (Status Quo Bias) is broken. That is when you step in.
How many LinkedIn saved searches should I set up?
Start with three to five searches and refine from there.
Create one saved search per top target company, filtered by "Changed jobs in the last 90 days." Add one broader search for your target job title across your industry. Too many searches creates noise; too few means you miss the windows that matter.
Review and refine your saved searches monthly. As your target list evolves and you get better at reading signals, you'll naturally tighten your filters to stay focused on the highest-value opportunities.
Will my employer know I'm tracking competitors or searching for jobs?
Saved searches are private — no one can see them.
LinkedIn does not notify anyone when you save a search or set a job alert. Your current employer cannot see your saved searches. If you're concerned about visibility, keep your "Open to Work" setting limited to recruiters only, not your full network.
Google Alerts are completely private. The only activity others see on LinkedIn is what you post, comment on, or like publicly.
Believe in Your Value, Get Ahead of the Curve
Understand that you are a valuable resource, not just someone asking for a job.
Top companies don't want polite followers; they want partners who bring solutions before problems are even public knowledge.
- If you keep falling into the trap of reacting to old news, you will always just be one face in the crowd waiting for whatever is left over.
- The expert shift places you as the immediate answer the moment a new leader gets power.
You aren't begging for a chance; you are offering a way to win. Stop waiting for permission and start using tools to get yourself into the meeting where important decisions are made.
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