If you are active on social media, you will no doubt have read recently about this new fangled cultural phenomenon called ‘The Hidden Job Market.’ I receive dozens of emails every day asking me what it is and how to get access to it.
Related: What’s The Hidden Job Market And How Do I Access It?
I have some news for you…There is no hidden job market.
It is just the job market.
Instead, try to think of it in an entirely different way. There are the jobs that you can see advertised and that are visible to everyone in the marketplace. These are the same opportunities that could be found before the dawn of social media by using the same old tried and tested techniques such as Scouring job boards, applying to a job advert or simply registering your details with a recruitment agency. This is the exact same way you would find a job in 1996!
Then, there is everything else. These are the opportunities that you are probably missing out on. These jobs are often never advertised on job boards (or social media for that matter). Job seekers are more likely to be approached about an opportunity rather than apply themselves. Nowadays, I would say as much as 60% of all jobs in the market are filled in this way, as opposed to more ‘traditional’ methods. So in 2016, rather than you finding a job, the job finds you!
To put this into some context, and to quote a statistic from my own career in the recruitment industry, I would say that as much as 70% of all the placements I have made as a recruiter in the past five years have never been advertised to the public.
In today’s job market, it is absolutely essential that you allow yourself to be found easily online by recruiters and employers who are proactively seeking out the best talent in the marketplace. So, there is a distinct shift in mindset required in order for you to become successful.
Here Are Some Key Things To Focus On In Order To Become Successful:
1. Building Relationships With Recruiters
It is no secret that recruiters hold the key to many of the best opportunities in the market. They own the relationships with the best employers. They have their finger on the pulse as to what skills are hot (and which are not), and they are often working in an area of deep specialization meaning they know more about your marketplace than you could ever dream of. As such, in order to become successful in today’s job market, it is absolutely critical that you get to work on building truly meaningful long lasting relationships with the best recruiters in your niche. The reason for this is that when a recruiter starts working on a new opportunity, the first place he or she goes to look for talent is their own network, not to advertise on a job board. You have to build a relationship with the recruiter so that you are one of the first people they think of when they begin working on a new opportunity. It is the job seekers who understand this and who go all in to foster relationships with key recruiters that always snag the best opportunities.
2. LinkedIn
By now, every job seeker should know what LinkedIn is and have a profile on the platform. I’ve talked about LinkedIn as being an integral part of any job search strategy until I am blue in the face! The world’s largest professional social network has now been around for a very long time. I have personally been using LinkedIn to recruit since 2005! Now, it is one thing having a profile on the platform, however, having a full profile that attracts both recruiters and employers is something completely different. I see too many people, way too often who think it is OK to have the bare minimum information included in their profile. If this is you, stop complaining about not receiving calls or being approached by anyone on LinkedIn. You are not showing LinkedIn the respect it deserves and you only have yourself to blame.
Think of LinkedIn as a searchable database. Give recruiters and employers as much opportunity to find you as possible by really selling your skills and experience, filling out your profile with as much information as you would find on your resume. Add a professional looking headshot photo too! Remember too that LinkedIn is, in essence, a place where people come to meet new people and to network. Your success on LinkedIn largely depends on the size of your network so you should also be adding connections every single day.
3. Your Own Network
Everyone has a personal network of friends and ex-colleagues. Not everyone taps into that network to maximum effect! Write a list of all your closest friends and acquaintances. Give them a call and ask them to keep an eye out for suitable opportunities for you. Reconnect with any ex-colleagues you may have lost touch with. Give your old boss a call if you don’t hate his guts! The more eyes and ears you have out there looking for you, the more opportunities you will be able to chose from. These people are your tribe. They are the ones that will be willing to bend over backwards in order to help you. They will bring opportunities to you. Outside of this,you should always be looking to meet and build relationships with your industry peers. The more people you know and can call upon, the better position you will be in the next time you are looking for a new job.
4. Twitter
This one is, for some people, slightly left of field. Most people wouldn’t think to use Twitter to help them get ahead in the job market but it can be your secret weapon. Let me explain…You can use Twitter to strike up a conversation with companies and hiring managers that are on your target list. Twitter is like the world’s largest cocktail party online. You can listen in on everyone else’s conversation and really add value if you approach it in the right way. Using Twitter to position yourself as an expert (or knowledgeable) in your niche is a great way to boost your personal brand. It is certainly not a quick fix, and it would take some considerable time to build up your followers, however, if you are willing to dive into the Twittersphere and utilize this social platform to build relationships with employers directly, you could be on to a winner!
So, ask yourself now if you truly believe that you are doing everything possible to maximize your chances of uncovering the best opportunities. If the answer is ‘no’, then you should take immediate steps to ensure that the best jobs start coming to you, as opposed to the other way around.
Visit Chris’ website here.
This post was originally published at an earlier date. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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