How to build a target company list (and keep it current)

A target company list is a short, ranked list of employers you'd want to work for, chosen before you look at individual job ads. Start with about 15 to 30 companies drawn from your experience, their competitors and peers, and organizations whose work you follow. Rank them by fit, then keep the list current by watching each company for new openings and recording what happens.

Already have a list? Follow the companies in Refine with role and location filters, and new openings come to you. See Step 4 below.

Why start with companies, not job ads

A job board shows you what happened to be posted this week. A company list reflects where you actually want to be. Starting from the list changes how you search:

• You research less, and better. Twenty companies are easier to understand well than two hundred job ads.
• You can prepare before a role opens. You know the product, the team and the people before the posting appears.
• Referrals become possible. It's much easier to find someone to talk to at a company you've already chosen.
• You notice patterns. Which kinds of companies reply, which interview processes suit you, which don't.

Job boards still have a place. They're one source of names for your list, not the list itself.

Step 1: Write down your criteria

Before naming any companies, write down what you're looking for. Split it into two columns:

Keep the must-have column short. Every item you add there removes companies from your list.

Step 2: Gather candidates

Aim for more names than you need, then cut. Good sources:

• Your past employers' competitors, partners, customers and suppliers. You already understand their market.
• Products and services you use and would enjoy working on.
• People you know or follow: where former colleagues went, and companies they speak well of.
• Industry news and lists: funding announcements, "best places to work" lists, conference speakers.
• Job boards: search your role and note which companies keep appearing.
• Companies similar to ones you already like. Refine suggests related companies based on the ones you follow.

Step 3: Rank into three tiers

Score each company from 1 to 3 on three questions:

1. Fit: how well does it match your must-haves?
2. Openings: how likely is it to hire for your role in the next few months?
3. Connection: do you know anyone there, or anyone who could introduce you?

Add the scores, then sort:

• Tier 1 (score 8–9): companies you'd say yes to tomorrow. Research them deeply and look for introductions now.
• Tier 2 (6–7): good options. Watch them and apply when a role fits.
• Tier 3 (5 or less): keep watching, but don't spend much time yet.

If you want a fuller method, the LAMP approach from Steve Dalton's The 2-Hour Job Search (List, Alumni, Motivation, Posting) is a well-known way to rank a list quickly.

Step 4: Watch every company for new openings

A list only helps if you hear when a company starts hiring for your role. Checking twenty careers pages by hand every week is how most lists get abandoned.

There are three ways to automate it, covered in detail in our guide How to get notified when a company posts a new role:

• Job-board alerts for companies that post everything to LinkedIn.
• Page monitors for a few companies with unusual careers pages.
• Following companies with filters, which is how Refine works: add each company once, set your role and location filters, and new matching openings appear in your dashboard.

Step 5: Record what happens with each company

Your list gets more useful when it remembers what happened:

• Roles you saved, applied to or decided against, and why.
• Who you talked to, and when you last followed up.
• Interview stages, feedback and outcomes.

This record is what stops you from starting from scratch next time, and it makes your monthly review fast.

Keep the list alive: a monthly review

Once a month, spend 20 minutes on the list:

1. Drop companies that no longer fit, or that turned out badly in interviews.
2. Re-tier companies whose situation changed: new funding, layoffs, a new contact.
3. Add two or three new names, including companies similar to your tier 1 list.
4. Check that every tier 1 and tier 2 company is being watched for openings.

Worksheet

Copy this into a spreadsheet to start your list. The first row is a made-up example.

Tools for tracking target companies

If your list has fewer than ten companies and you're happy checking their careers pages weekly, a spreadsheet is enough.

Common questions

How many companies should be on my list?

We suggest about 15 to 30. That's enough that some will have openings for your role at any time, and few enough that you can research each one properly. Start smaller if you're early in your search.

What if my target companies aren't hiring?

Keep watching them, and widen the list. Add companies similar to your tier 1 choices, and loosen one nice-to-have criterion. Hiring often changes quickly after funding news or a new team lead.

Should I still use job boards?

Yes, as one source. Use them to discover companies for your list, then follow those companies directly.

Can my AI assistant help?

Yes. If your assistant is connected to Refine, you can paste your list and ask: "Follow each of these companies for senior data roles in Berlin or remote." See How to use your AI assistant for your job search.

Start with your tier 1

Write down five companies you'd say yes to tomorrow, and set one role filter for each. Start with Refine for free.