WHAT’S THE HIDDEN JOB MARKET?

Once you have completed your resume, your next step is to know how to effectively look for your next position.  In my 20+ years of career coaching, this is the number one struggle for those in transition.  Most people do not job search effectively, thus making their search last much longer than it needs to be.  

Bottom line, as a job seeker, you need to spend your time doing what makes a difference! Statistics show that only 10-20% of all jobs are ever posted in a job bank, and of the jobs posted, less than 5% are filled from all job boards combined! These statistics mean 80-90% of all opportunities remain in the hidden job market, meaning unadvertised openings. What I tell all my clients is that “most jobs you can do tomorrow are walking around inside Managers’ heads”.  So, I would never tell someone not to use online job boards, but you want to spend most of your time doing proactive job searching, rather than reactive job searching (only reacting to job postings).  

A proactive job search looks like this:

1. Ask yourself, “Where do I want to work?” or “Who would hire someone with my skills?” and then make a list of employers in your geographic area who hire for those positions.

2. Don’t worry about whether you see job postings for the positions you are targeting (as most jobs are never advertised), instead, spend your time trying to get your resume in the hands of the person who would hire you.

3. In order to do this, write everyone you know and tell them the companies you are targeting.

4. Use LinkedIn and search for 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree contacts you have that work at the companies you are targeting.

5. If you are a member of a professional association, obtain the membership directory and search for contacts at the companies you are targeting.

6. Never ask, “Do you know if your company is hiring?” (as that is like asking “if they know what’s inside their Manager’s head”). Instead, ask if they can assist you in sending along your resume to the Manager of the department where you would like work. 

7. When sending your resume, tell the Manager you are targeting their company as a place you would like to work and ask if they have any current or future needs for someone with your skills and experience. Please reach out to us if you need help with writing a professional resume. 

8. The more you do this, the more pleasantly surprised you will be with the results.