Identifying which companies you hope to work for is one of the biggest hurdles job seekers face.
I know this because I was a search consultant for over 25 years. Now, I have an executive résumé and LinkedIn profile writing practice. And my clients almost always ask questions about how to find future employers.
I advise them to use AI chatbot platforms like ChatGPT, Claude AI, and Perplexity. To help the platforms work their magic, I encourage them to use NAICS codes in their prompts. Heres how to do this:
What are NAICS codes?
NAICS is the acronym for the North American Industry Classification System. It assigns six-digit codes to companies as follows:
The first two digits in a NAICS code identify economic sectors (e.g., 23 for Construction). NAICS has 20 sectors.
The third and fourth digits divide economic sectors into subsectors. Example: 23 becomes 2382 for Building Equipment Contractors, a type of construction company. NAICS has 99 subsectors.
The fifth and sixth digits divide economic subsectors into industries. Example: 2382 becomes 238220 for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors, a type of building equipment contractor. NAICS has 1,000-plus industries.
Thus, you can use NAICS codes at different levels to identify where you want to work. Once you know that, you can ask AI chatbot platforms to find companies in those NAICS codes.
How AI chatbots can help find companies
I asked ChatGPT how it finds companies. It searches for and analyzes public information from filings, directories, and the internet. It does in a minute or two what would take a job seeker hours, days, or weeks.
I ran several searches on different platforms to show you how to use these chatbots to speed up your job search. You can see my prompts and results below.
Prompts to find target companies
I used these prompts to find companies by industry, location, and size:
Prompt 1: Please list all the companies in NAICS code 713210 (Casinos) in Nevada. Claude AI provided a list of 55 large casinos. When I asked it to limit its results to Reno, it gave me 20 casino and gaming establishments.
Prompt 2: List the 20 largest companies in the US in NAICS code 221115 (Wind Electric Power Generation).
Perplexity listed 20 companies. When asked, it also shared locations, descriptions, and the 21st through 40th-largest companies.
Prompt 3: List the companies in NAICS code 441110 (New Car Dealers) in Washington States King County.
Perplexity named 17 dealerships, which was a good start but not comprehensive.
ChatGPT wouldnt answer my query. Instead, it suggested I use Data Axle Reference Solutions, which I have recommended for years. DARS has a database of almost 100 million U.S. businesses. Its the ultimate resource if you hit a dead-end finding target employers, and its searchable by NAICS codes.
Prompts to find recruiting, private equity, and venture capital firms
Job seekers also want to find potential sources of opportunities, such as recruiting and private investment firms.
To identify these targets, I used the following prompts. They included a subsector, industries, and specific investment strategies:
Prompt 1: Please list search firms that recruit executives for companies in NAICS code 3254 (Pharmaceutical & Medicine Manufacturing).
ChatGPT provided a list of 25 firms, although I had to re-prompt it with Any more? several times.
Prompt 2: List venture capital firms that invest in AI start-ups (NAICS code 541745).
ChatGPT provided a list of 28 firms. While I had to re-prompt it with Any more? several times, I stopped asking before it was done sharing firms.
Prompt 3: Please list private equity firms that acquire turnaround clothing retailers (NAICS code 458110).
ChatGPT provided a list of 17 firms. Again, I re-prompted it several times. Perplexity, prompted and re-prompted, gave me a list of 18 firms.
You can use different platforms and variables at will. Doing so enables you to assemble lists of potential target companies in minutes.
