Any tips for finding a new employer besides job listings? [X-Post to /careerguidance]

So I'm just beginning to look for a new job. I'm currently employed so I'm not rushed. I'm interested in going to a smaller company but I'm unsure how to find a small company that I would be interested in working in. I know smaller companies can hire recruiters, but that means I'm waiting on a recruiter to find me.

In my city there's very limited options for companies that would hire a mechanical engineer. I've briefly checked job boards, but in reality I'm hoping to find a company that's working on something interesting and apply there, even though they may not have a direct position listed.

So far I think a good option is to look through some trade magazines of industries that I'm interested in, and try to find a company that's local. But that sounds like a lot of time spent digging. Does anyone have any tips or places to look to find a local-ish employer working on something interesting to me? Or just to find local-ish employers that do product design?

​

Sorry if that's a big pile of rambling. Let me know if I can clear up better what I'm looking for.

Link for x-post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/comments/cg6ld3/any_tips_for_finding_a_new_employer_besides_job/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

usa jobs
usa jobs resume
usa hotel jobs
usajobs
usa jobs federal government
usa job in ksa
usa jobs
usa jobs login
usa jobs gov
usajobs.gov
www.usajobs.gov
usajobs.com
usajobs
usajobs.gov official