Break into the hidden job market
Break into the hidden job market
October 15, 2012
So you’ve scanned online job boards, combed through the newspaper want ads, and maybe even written a few dozen versions of your résumé and cover letter. It’s a good start, but it’s just the beginning of your job hunt.
If applying online isn’t working for you, it may be time to explore the hidden job market. Believe it or not, most of the jobs you’re looking for may not even be advertised. It’s through networking and making connections that you can get access to these jobs. By choosing to hire people who are referred to them, employers don’t have to sift through dozens of résumés, conduct long interviews, and call references. They just hire the people recommended to them by their trusted sources.
So how do you get in? Well, first, check out this YouTube video, where I talk about the hidden job market and how to break into it.
Second, start establishing a network. Contact old colleagues, friends, your parents’ friends, or people you used to volunteer with. Ask them if they know someone who’s hiring. Your network can be made up of anybody who has a connection to the work force. If you’re in post-secondary school, consider talking to your teachers. They’re often leaders in the very industry that you hope to work in, and they may have contacts at former jobs or even current jobs, if they work in addition to teaching.
Most of the jobs I’ve had I’ve gotten through networking. In fact, I got my first job serving ice cream when I was 16 through my mother’s network. She was a frequent visitor to this particular restaurant, and she asked them if they were hiring anybody. Since she was a regular, the owners knew and trusted her. Next thing I knew, I was scooping ice cream the summer before I went away to college. I managed to save up a lot of money, all thanks to my mother’s network.
Give it a try! It never hurts to reach out. And who knows? It may work for you in ways you never expected.
Have you ever scored a job through the hidden job market? Share your story in the comments section below.