Looking for a new job can be a tough process! However, as research shows that only around 30% of jobs are found through job boards and recruitment agencies, then people are missing out on potential job opportunities if this is their sole focus. Unfortunately, recruitment agencies cannot find a job for everyone they meet.
So what happens to the remaining 70% of jobs? The easiest way to tap into that hidden job market is to utilise your own network and even if you don’t think you have a network, believe me, everyone does!
So before you start looking for your hidden job market, it is very important that you have a plan. Success is much more likely if you actually know what steps you will take and creating a plan and goals will go a long way in assisting you. So what is the best way to create a useful plan and access that hidden job market?
Step 1.
Before you start it is important to ensure your resume is up to date and that you are happy with it. If you need advice on how to improve your resume then this is something I can assist with. Once you are happy with your resume then ensure you also update your LinkedIn profile. Do not just cut and paste your resume into your LinkedIn profile, it is more effective to summarise each of your roles with a few lines of information. You can however use and adapt your career profile or career objective and use this in your LinkedIn summary. Creating a powerful headline and opening summary on your LinkedIn profile is very important and tells people and employers who you are and what you can offer. Then upload a professional head and shoulders photo onto your LinkedIn profile. Employers will visit your profile, and they will expect to see your photo. Ensure your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete.
Step 2.
Start creating a list of contacts that you can approach to ask for advice. As we are all still mainly working from home, due to Co-vid19, ask to meet for an online Zoom coffee or lunch to get their advice. The easiest way to start this list is to look through your LinkedIn contacts, email address book and also your old business cards. Think about sorting them into “hot” and “warm” contacts. Be easy on yourself and contact the “hot” contacts first! Your “hot” contacts might be ex work colleagues, friends, people you went to Uni with or studied with. “Warm” contacts might be friends of your partner, parents from your kids school, people you meet through your sport, eg gym, running club, soccer team.
Additionally, also think about your second degree contacts, as you never know who your friends might know. Can they pass your details onto people that may be able to help you?
In a classic study, sociologist Mark Granovetter showed that people were 58% more likely to get a new job through weak ties than strong ties. How could acquaintances be more helpful than good friends? The intuitive answer is that we have more weak than strong ties, so the odds are just higher. Evidence supports a more powerful explanation: despite their good intentions, strong ties often give us “old” knowledge. Our closest contacts tend to know the same people and information as we do. Weak ties travel in different circles and learn different things, so they can offer us more efficient access to new information. Think about the people with whom you’ve lost touch for a few years: a childhood neighbour, a college roommate, or a colleague from your first job, then reach out to them.
Step 3.
Once you have created a contact list then you can either call them directly and ask them to catch up, or send them an email. Don’t initially ask them if they have any jobs, just tell them you are looking for your next career move and would really value their advice and any ideas. Ask if you can either have a quick chat with them over the phone, or arrange an online Zoom catch up.
Step 4.
It is very important to then track everything you are doing. An easy way to do this is to create an Excel spreadsheet, or use a paper notebook or something similar. Consider using the following headings: date, name of person, job title, company, contact details, how do you know this person, action taken, follow up, any other comments.
Doing this reminds you what you have done for the week and also who you must follow up and ensures you do not miss anything. It is also a nice way of reminding yourself of all the effort you have put in that week to try and find a new job!
Step 5.
Once you start to arrange meetings with people then ensure you ask about them first and then tell them what you are looking for in your next role, and that you would value their advice. It is much easier for people to help you if you can tell them what you want. Never go into a meeting complaining about your boss or your current job. You must have given a lot of thought on what you want in your next career move and be able to clearly articulate this, before you meet with your contacts.
Remember to stay positive and always follow up with the people you have met and thank them for their time. This is utilising the “hidden” job market and doing all of this should take up around 60 to 70% of your job searching time. The rest of the time, you can focus on the job boards and recruitment agencies. If you are unemployed then treat job searching as a full-time job, if you are working then ideally dedicate 1 to 2 hours per day.
One Final Thing……..
Once you have created your contact list, as detailed in step 2, then ensure you keep this. Next time you are looking for a new job, maybe in 2 or 3 years time, then you can refer back to this list. Your contacts may have moved companies and this can give you new ideas for your next job opportunity.
Also, ensure you live by the principle of “pay it forward” which is do things to help other people as you never know who will help you in return. Quite often you get the most help from the people you expect the least from, and often the least help from those you might have expected the most from!
Take control and decide what you want, create your plan and then get started. It may take a few months to find your next job, or even longer, but this is something you control and doing this can be a lot more rewarding than clicking “apply” on a job board for the 20th time that week!
Good luck and if you need career coaching to assist you with this then drop me a message.