Have you heard of the invisible job market? There are so many jobs in the marketplace that you are not even aware of, due to them being hidden. If you are currently looking for a job, it’s no secret that tapping into the unadvertised job market is the most lucrative. Even in this economy, there are thousands of jobs out there. However, many of the best jobs never make it to the published market. That’s because they’re filled before they are ever advertised.
The secret to the unadvertised job market is in building relationships and by following these steps you should be able to find those jobs:
1) Networking Studies show that between 73% - 75% of people find jobs through networking. Surely this is the best way. Contact everyone you know including friends, associates, and family to let them know you are looking for a job. Most companies have employee referral programs and people can recommend you for hire as long as you meet the qualifications, of course. Once hired, employees receive a fee from their employer. Your network may also know of other jobs available through other contacts. Another great networking organization is called linked in and can be reached at linkedin.com. You can connect with other contacts in your field or make new connections with others in a different field. Most employers are now recruiting qualified candidates through this organization especially since the membership is now at 9 million people.
2) Professional Associations Attend monthly professional association meetings or luncheons. Even if you are not a member you can attend and pay a reasonable fee. There are new types of social networking groups forming, including match.com, facebook.com, eons.com, and youtube.com, which can be used for business connections. Just make sure to complete your profile with these groups and sound enthusiastic.
3) Targeted Mailings A customized letter to specific companies of interest is a great way to find a job. In order for this to work, you must have the correct name and title of the proper person to address the letter. Believe it or not, this still works. In the letter, make sure to inform the person that you will call them to follow-up in a week or so and most importantly, make sure you call once you indicate that in the letter.
If you follow any one of these suggestions, you will have the inside track to standing out from your competition and getting a job that is not advertised.
Brenda Ferguson Hodges is The Interview Queen. Subscribe to her FREE SPECIAL REPORT, 5 Steps to the Job Hunting Game, and her FREE Career Talk weekly e-zine newsletter at http://www.theinterviewqueen.com
