Option #1:
A limited number of interesting roles are posted each year (about 10-20) . There are 100-150 other job seekers applying for each of those jobs.
Option #2:
There are thousands of potential jobs for you every year. Each of those positions only has 5-10 applicants.
Which one would you choose?
You might be asking why anyone in their right mind would choose option No 1.
Yet, in real life, most job seekers go for the first alternative. This is the traditional approach to job seeking.
It starts with browsing job ads and writing a cover letter and a resume for those positions. After you've sent your application, you're praying to land a job interview and, eventually, a job offer.
Now there's nothing wrong with this approach and it's possible to find a good job through traditional means.
The problem is, however, that you target the same jobs as everyone else. As a result, you are competing with dozens (if not hundreds) of other applicants.
This is not the best tactic if you want to speed up your job hunt or increase the likelihood of finding a job that you LOVE. To do that, you should choose the second option and make the hidden job market your new best friend.
The most successful job seekers don't wait for opportunities to land in their lap - they create them themselves.
Here's how.
The hidden job market - what is it?
It may sound mysterious but the hidden job market simply stands for jobs that are never posted anywhere.
Depending on the source, it's estimated that up to 85 % of all positions get filled behind the scenes. It makes sense as the traditional job search is burdensome and time consuming for employers.
When a company posts an open position, they will receive hundreds of applications. They must peruse all those applications to try to filter out the most suitable applicants. After that, they'll have to interview candidates until they find the right one, perhaps over several rounds.
Naturally, if an employer can avoid all this hassle, they most likely will. Most companies would rather fill positions without going through the tedious recruitment process.
This is great news for job seekers as there's much less competition when it comes to hidden jobs. Yet, tapping into this market requires some effort. You won't find a list of jobs anywhere, so you have to find them yourself.
How? By creating the right connections.
Best ways to find hidden jobs
Understand how it works
Hidden jobs won't come to you, which means that you have to go to them. You do this by connecting with the right people and companies.
And before you ask - yes, this essentially means networking. But don't freak out - we're not simply talking about traditional networking, like attending industry events. We're talking about growing your network in a meaningful and strategic way. There are several ways to do that.
Creating connections means getting to know professionals in and outside your field. It means connecting with interesting companies. It also means establishing yourself as a potential hire in the minds of recruiters and hiring managers. All this is to make sure that when the time comes to fill a potential job, you will be considered for that role.
The sooner you start, the better. You don't even have to be actively job hunting. In fact, it's better to start when you're not in a desperate need for a job. That way, you'll leave yourself enough time to find the best job for you.
Hunting for hidden jobs may sound time-consuming, but that's not the case. Not in the long run at least. You'll save a lot of time when you don't have to put in hundreds of hours on writing application after application.
Boost your online presence
When it comes to job hunting, LinkedIn is the king. With almost 700 million users, it's the best place to connect with like-minded professionals and potential future employers.
Of course, nothing is stopping you from getting active on other platforms such as Instagram. However, we'll focus solely on LinkedIn as it's the go-to platform for job seekers.
Start by doing the following:
- Give your LinkedIn profile a face-lift. Write a new profile text that is designed to showcase your expertise and support your job search. Emphasise such experience, interests and achievements that are relevant for the roles or companies that you might be interested in.
- If your headline only consists of your current job title, change it to include the industry and/or area of work that you're interested in.
- If necessary, update your profile picture and cover image.
- Connect with interesting people. Send a personalised invitation note the most prominent connections, like those that work in companies that you're interested in.
- Follow companies that you'd love to work for and sign up for job alerts
- Be active! Trying to post 1-2 times a week is a good start - you don't have to write fresh content every day. Don't forget to like and comment on other posts, especially those that might be relevant for your job hunting.
Network - but in a way that suits you
Attending a networking event is a dream for some and a nightmare for others.
If you love to mingle at live events with a glass of champagne in your hands, then just sign up for interesting events - the more, the better! This way, you'll get to know interesting people and they will get to know you.
If you're more of an introvert, try attending online events. They are more common now than ever due to COVID-19. Look for events held by companies that you're targeting or industry events in a field that you want to work in. Getting active in suitable LinkedIn groups is also a great way to network from the comfort of your own home.
You can attend all kinds of events from industry sports events to cocktail parties thrown by the local Chamber of Commerce. You could even organise a relaxed get-together for a group of people in your network!
No matter how you choose to network, keep in mind its essence: to connect with others in a genuine way. It's not about hitting a certain number of LinkedIn followers - it's about creating potentially flourishing connections.
Also, don't forget to follow up with people that you've encountered.
Say you've met a recruiter from your dream company. Send them an email expressing that it was nice to meet them and that you would be interested in learning more about their career opportunities. Simple as that!
Be open about your job search
When you're hunting for hidden jobs, you have to get vocal about it.
No - you don't have to update your LinkedIn headline with "looking for new opportunities" unless you want to (which we don't recommend doing if you're still working in your current position).
However, talk openly about your plans with everyone you meet: your family and friends, new acquaintances, your former colleagues and your LinkedIn connections (1-on-1).
There's nothing wrong with messaging people who might be able to help you in your job search. However, keep it short. Just ask them to keep you in mind if they hear about suitable job opportunities. Providing some kind of value in return is always a good idea - it could be as simple as linking to an article that might interest them.
Become an insider to increase the odds of getting hired
Did you know that getting a referral from inside of the company will dramatically increase your odds of getting the job? In fact, employee referrals account for 40% of all hires. Yet, only 7% of applicants use this tactic.
You can do the math - it means that getting a referral is perhaps the best way to land your dream job.
What it means is that someone within the company puts a good word for you. So don't be afraid to ask someone you know if they'd be willing to vouch for you. Just make sure that he or she knows the key decision-makers in that company.
Contact employers directly - but focus on the right kind of companies
Okay, so you'd love to work for Google or LVMH or another major corporation.
The problem is that large companies usually have more rigid recruitment processes. If you approach them directly, they will likely direct you to submit your resume through their career pages. But sending a resume in the black hole called "application management system" is not the best way to land a job.
Instead, you should target smaller companies with 20-50 employees (or a 100 at the most).
It's much easier to establish connections with such companies: If you target a company with 20 employees and you connect with 5-10 of those employees on LinkedIn, you'll already have connected with 25-50% of their staff! You can use these connections to get to know the company and its working culture better.
Naturally, it's also easier to find and contact the person who is in charge of the hiring processes. Once you know who to contact, you could send that person an email or a LinkedIn message explaining your competence and interest for their company. You could even offer to buy them lunch or a quick coffee.
If you're not in a rush with your job search, your first message should be about providing value rather than asking for something. Sending an interesting article, research paper or invitation to an event is an easy way to establish yourself as a professional whilst also building genuine connections with people.
Don't get discouraged if you receive a "No" from the person you contact. Ask them if you could be in touch again in the future and actively engage with them online to keep you in their minds.
Key takeaways:
- Hidden jobs are jobs that aren't posted anywhere - you have to find those jobs yourself
- You can tap into the hidden job market by creating and cultivating meaningful connections - preferably already before you're actively job hunting
- Get active on LinkedIn to grow your audience and connect with relevant people and companies
- Network in a way that feels genuine to you
- Don't be shy - talk about your plans and career dreams with everyone you encounter
- Contact interesting companies directly. Try to establish connections with the people in charge of hiring processes and get a referral, if possible.
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