Five ways to access the 'hidden' job market
A successful job hunt requires聽more than scouring聽through聽open positions on Monster.com. Though聽replying to聽traditional聽ads聽is part of the process, tapping into the so-called 鈥渉idden鈥� job market聽can be聽an even more effective way to land a job you鈥檒l love when you graduate.
The聽鈥渉idden鈥� job market includes聽positions that聽haven鈥檛 been posted publicly. A hiring manager聽might let her colleagues聽know she plans to hire a聽聽associate, for instance, before she gets around to writing a job description. And when those colleagues recommend professional connections for the job, it鈥檚 likely their connections鈥� resumes and cover letters will get noticed. More than three-quarters of recruiters say the best candidates come to their companies through referrals from current employees, according to the 2015聽.
Use these five tips to find聽others聽who聽can聽recommend you for jobs that haven鈥檛 even been posted online yet. You鈥檒l save time writing cover letters that might not聽get read, and you鈥檒l meet successful people in your field with expertise to share. What鈥檚 not to like?
Step 1: Make a list of current and potential professional connections.
Building聽a professional network can seem intimidating. But the more people who know you鈥檙e searching for a job, and who can vouch for your unique mix of skills and experience, the better.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about building relationships so when something does open up, they think of you first,鈥� says Robert Hellmann, president of Hellmann Career Consulting in New York.
Start slow by getting in touch with people you know, but whom you might not have thought of as connections. Former internship supervisors, professors, grad students in your major and alumni聽fall into this category; so do the聽neighbors you had growing up, your friends鈥� parents and聽high school teachers who聽might know others in your field.
Make a list of all the people you聽could feasibly set up time with, either in person or over the phone, to get career advice and to learn what they did to get to where they are. Ideally, they will work in jobs you鈥檙e interested in, hire for jobs you鈥檇 like to apply for or have a large network of their own in the industry you want to break into.
Step 2:聽Schedule informational interviews.
It鈥檚 best to meet聽with your connections before you聽graduate聽and start聽actively looking for jobs,聽says Jane Matthews,聽assistant director of employer relations at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.聽鈥淭hat聽way you鈥檝e already got the network in place,鈥� she says.聽鈥淧eople already know you, and kind of know your personal brand and what you鈥檙e about.鈥�
During the summer before your senior year and the following fall and spring semesters, schedule at least one informational interview a week with a professional connection. If you鈥檝e done internships or held leadership roles on campus your first few years at school, you鈥檝e聽most likely already started to create a network. The goal is to send each聽connection a brief email re-introducing yourself and asking to meet (or speak on the phone) to聽learn more about their career path.
鈥淎聽less scary way to think about that is just starting to build relationships,鈥� Matthews says. 鈥溾�楴etworking,鈥� I think, sometimes has kind of a daunting connotation to it.鈥�
These connections will remember you if they hear of a job opening you鈥檇 be a good candidate for, or you can let them know聽after you鈥檝e applied for a job at聽a company they鈥檙e familiar with.
Matthews recommends saying, 鈥淚鈥檝e聽found this opportunity. Do you know of anybody who might be beneficial for me to follow up with?鈥� That鈥檚 more professional than asking them to 鈥減ut in a good word for you,鈥� she says.
Step 3: 鈥楥old-call鈥� hiring managers聽you want to work for.
You can also network with people you鈥檝e never met. When you鈥檙e on the job hunt,聽聽or company websites for managers who may be in the position to hire junior-level employees like you.
If you want a job as an advertising copywriter, for instance, look up the creative director or director of content at聽firms you鈥檙e excited about. Send him or聽her聽an email with a bulleted list of the聽skills and prior positions you鈥檝e held that make you a great fit for his or her team, even if there aren鈥檛 any job openings posted. Include a catchy subject line, Robert Hellmann聽says, like 鈥淥pen to discussing fresh approaches to copywriting,鈥� and ask for 20 minutes of his or her time to share how you can help the company meet its targets.
鈥淭he goal here is to get an informational meeting, just to get in front of them,鈥� he聽says. Once you meet or speak over the phone, even if there aren鈥檛 any positions currently available, the聽聽might keep you in mind for the future.
Step 4: Follow up with hiring managers and keep in touch with connections.
If you don鈥檛 hear back right away, Hellmann recommends calling the hiring manager three days later to follow up on your email. Leave one message, but don鈥檛 call back if you don鈥檛 get a response. It鈥檚 best聽to come across as enthusiastic, but not over-eager.
You can also choose to聽reach out after聽you鈥檝e sent聽in an application through the company鈥檚 online hiring portal, Hellmann says. Since it鈥檚 hard to stand out when you鈥檙e one of hundreds of applicants, sending a well-written聽email directly to a manager in addition to the basic cover letter and resume shows you鈥檙e serious about the position.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓聽talking about is going beyond HR, finding the person who could hire you聽or the person who鈥檚 hiring you,鈥� Hellmann says.
It鈥檚 also important to follow up after informational interviews with professional connections you already know. After聽you speak with an alum or a previous internship supervisor, send him or her periodic updates on your job search, articles you think they鈥檇 like or a message checking in during their busy season at work. Too many job seekers schedule聽meetings only to have the relationships fizzle over time, Hellmann says.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 only 50% of it. The other 50% is keeping in touch,鈥� he says.
Step 5: Show appreciation after every meeting, phone call and email exchange.
It鈥檚 crucial to send a thank you email after every informational meeting you have, and聽even after you鈥檝e exchanged emails with a connection who鈥檚 given you useful聽insight. Others will be more likely to聽think well of you 鈥� and recommend you for jobs聽鈥攊f聽it鈥檚 clear you鈥檙e respectful and appreciative. Send a聽thoughtful email following a meeting or phone call with a hiring manager, too, to聽make sure you stay聽on their radar.
All this effort is聽worth it, Hellmann says.聽Actively seeking out opportunities can聽expose聽you to higher-quality roles than you鈥檇 find聽among聽the jobs聽made available to聽all job seekers.
鈥淭he return on your time investment is huge compared to just waiting for the ads and the headhunters.鈥�
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