What is “the Hidden Job Market”? December Newsletter
Hello followers! Welcome to the December edition of the Job Guy Newsletter. Each month, I will be sharing statistics, online career management tools, a testimonial or two, and a favorite tip from my blog page. Please do feel free to comment or suggest content that you might like to see or find useful. This is all about the job seekers after all!
What is the Hidden Job Market?
We have all read that 75% of jobs are gotten through the hidden job market, but most people don’t really know what that means. Hidden jobs are simply roles that people landed other than by applying for them. Most of the people I work with have obtained jobs through the hidden job market before they hire me, but don’t realize it because they didn’t do anything actively to make it happen.
Or, they attribute their success 100% to the fact that they had a contact in a new company. The human connection is certainly a factor, but it is not the only one. Two conditions must exist for a person to get a new job:
1. An employer must need what they have to offer.
2. That employer must be able to find them.
Having a contact in a company that doesn’t need you doesn’t help much. Nor can it work if a company is in desperate need of your services, but they don’t know you exist. Either way, the key to unlocking the hidden job market is building a network of well-placed professionals who are likely to hear about opportunities and connect you to them…or help you work around the screening process should a job become posted that you are qualified for.
The question then becomes, how can I meet the people I need to know to access these hidden jobs? Joining groups of like-minded professionals is perhaps the most efficient way to do it. In addition to LinkedIn Groups, here are some of my favorite online resources to identify gathering places:
1. Find in-person and virtual networking and professional group meetings using Meetup.
2. Find job fairs and other industry events using EventBrite.
3. Find tradeshows in your area using Tradeshow Network.
4. Find professional associations using Directory of Associations.
A Favorite LinkedIn Testimonial
Paul is an account management/customer success professional in the healthcare sector. He had a very relevant skillset but needed help with presenting his message on “paper” and, more importantly, he was not clear on how to access the hidden job market.
“John was an immense help to me throughout my job search. His 'can-do' attitude, along with his years of partnering with professionals across a diverse set of job industries (including healthcare), helped guide my approach to my job search. His unique perspective on taking a more proactive networking approach (LinkedIn, in particular) to job searches as opposed to applying for jobs as they become publicly available (i.e. connecting with leaders in my field who would be open to conversations about events leading to job growth in the industry and companies experiencing these events), along with his input on how to better accentuate my skillsets and accomplishments on both my resume and during the interview process (and honing an impactful elevator speech), were also invaluable. I would gladly (and already have!) recommend him to anyone in need of his services.”
Job Guy’s Search Tip of the Month
Effective networking is the key to the hidden job market!
When I started my business years ago, I made a prudent decision to join Business Network International (BNI) to learn how to network to find clients. The concept upon which I built a 20-year practice was the “Givers Gain” approach to professional relationship building I learned there. I have since adapted the model to teach my clients how to generate optimal leverage from networking to access the hidden job market. The approach is based on a few core principles.
1. It is more powerful, and easier, to approach someone with an offer vs. a favor.
2. All jobs are created because someone has a problem to solve or an opportunity to seize.
3. Most networking connections will not be enthusiastic about helping you find a job. But they will be very interested in helping a client, colleague, partner, or family member to solve a problem by hiring you.
The best way to leverage your professional network is by executing a proactive, solutions-based approach. To learn more about proactive professional networking, see my original blog post: How to Find a Job Through Networking — Job Guy (job-guy.com).
