Tapping Into The Hidden Job Market

You may think that when you complete an online search in a bid to find a new job, that you are getting an exhaustive list of recruiters currently looking for staff. Unfortunately you are not. It does not matter if you are using a major search engine like Google or an online job board like Monster, the fact is that a great many jobs will go un noticed by you simply because they have not even been advertised.

It has been estimated that there can be up to four times as many positions available than you have seen advertised in any given industry. This is a huge slice of the job market pie, and not one that you should be content to miss.

The question then remains, that if the jobs are not advertised anywhere, then how the heck can you apply for them?

Its a fair and valid question to ask(!); and one that is much easier to answer than it is to actually find one of these hidden jobs.

That is, of course, not to say that it is impossible to successfully find and be offered a “hidden job”. This actually happens every day; the question is: how do you go about and locate these particular opportunities?

The first step is networking. For many the term networking makes them cringe. But networking is a serious part of business, especially if you are in the business of hunting for a new career. The old adage is indeed true - it is not what you know, it is “who” you know - when it comes to the recruitment industry.

All of us network every single day – we make small talk with people in other departments or in companies that we have dealings with. You could even explain Facebook and Twitter usage in terms of networking.

Networking is, at its core, building relationships. Thats it. Thats all it takes to break into the hidden job market. If you are able to build relationships with managers in different departments or indeed within different companies then you are well on your way to hearing about a job that has not been advertised externally.

The downside is that companies often prefer to recruit internally, since those that apply are therefore known quantities and not virtual strangers to the management of this particular business.

Someone who is very good at networking can build and maintain a vast array of contacts within their industry. If you present yourself in the best possible light to the contact then you have won half the battle. These contacts will be willing to let you know about any up and coming positions if they feel that they know you sufficiently well enough!

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Tapping Into The Hidden Job Market