The Hidden Job Market: What it is and How to Tap into it
All the jobs listed on job boards are not all the jobs that there are in the job market. In fact, 80% of all job vacancies are either not advertised or get advertised too late in the application process. Decades ago, tapping into the hidden job market entailed finding out and applying for job openings that never get advertised. Nowadays, it is more about getting to hiring managers and recruiters early in the application process (usually before the job posting goes up) or engaging with the employer as soon as the listing goes up. Your goal is to get noticed before the crowd gets in.
Leveraging Connections to Access the Hidden Job Market
Your key to accessing the hidden job market is information. You need all the information about job openings that you can get from the inside. Before a job gets posted on job boards or online, employees and managers within the organization will have an inkling and will be in the best position to tell you when and where to make a move. You can start with people you already know like lecturers, former classmates, current and former mentors as well as family and friends. You should also leverage social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to connect with as many people in your field as possible. Be sure to not say you are looking for a job from the word go. Build rapport and proceed from there.
To strategically leverage your connections to access the job market, you should do the following;
Create a list of companies you want to work at (target between 20 to 25 companies)
Visit the LinkedIn Profile of the company and search for employees you can connect with and connect with them.
Visit Facebook and search for your desired companies, select the people tab and turn on the friends of friends tab.
Leverage Facebook Messenger and LinkedIn Messaging to connect with employees at companies on your list to request informational interviews.
Build relationships with as many people within the company you will like to work with as possible. Any employee inside the company can pass on your resume no matter what job they hold. They may also be able to introduce the hiring manager.
Other things you can do include;
Contact employers of interest by cold-calling or sending in an expression of interest letter.
Volunteer or take up internship roles at companies of interest to you.
Follow companies of interest on LinkedIn and subscribe to google alerts for news and updates from your companies of interest.
Post more stuff online (Put up new posts 2-3 times a week on LinkedIn and engage by interacting with and commenting on the posts of your connections).
Finding a job is most often a game of numbers. How many hours do you put in, how many applications do you send and how many people do you make time to speak with about your job search? It is recommended that you spend about thirty (30) hours a week (well, finding a job is a full-time job in itself). You can spend 10 hours searching for job listings online on job boards, company websites, and in the news. Then, use the remaining 20 hours to network with relevant people and to develop and post relevant content. You should spend at most one hour applying for one job and therefore 10 hours applying to ten jobs. If you use more time, get more efficient and make things easier by doing more informational interviews and connecting with more people.