Hello and welcome everyone.
Really excited about today's topic, and am excited to hear all your experiences of the hidden job market.
About 70-80% of jobs that are available are not advertised through mainstream mediums such as Seek. This is known as the Hidden Job Market. The percentage of jobs available in the hidden job market varies between industries, the size of a business and also the type of job individuals may be looking for.
So how are these jobs in the hidden job market accessed? Any why aren’t they advertised?
Advertising vacancies can be a time consuming and expensive process for many businesses. So if an employer can find candidates or employees within the hidden job market themselves, then why would they advertise?
There are many avenues that individuals can use to access jobs within the hidden job market. One of the key elements of success to tap into the hidden job market is to build a network to meet as many people as possible. This can be a confronting process for many people and it is important to find a method that is comfortable for you.
I will give you two examples of how I managed to tap into the hidden job market that helped me get a job.
First example: I was unemployed, living at home and my confidence was low. I was young and wanted to go out with my friends but did not have the money to do so. My mother was working at the markets when she was speaking to a customer of hers explaining that I was looking for a job. The customer told my mother that there is a job front of desk available at a salon she was employed at and that I should go and hand in my resume. The next day, I walked into the salon to be greeted by a girl, who was actually the manager. I spoke to her briefly about the position and gave her my resume. The same day she called me to come in for an interview and I was successful in obtaining a position which I remained there for nearly three years.
Second example: After three years working in the salon I wanted to work in an industry where I was able to make a positive difference in people’s lives. But I just was not sure what I needed to do and how to go about it, but I knew that I needed to approach having a career in a different way. One day I opened the yellow pages to the recruitment section and randomly selected an employment service. All I wanted to do is speak to a professional for career advice. I called the employment service and requested a meeting for a career chat. Few days later I went to my meeting and spent more than 2 hours speaking to a staff member about what I wanted to do. Within one week of the meeting, the same employment service called me and offered me a job as a receptionist in which I gratefully accepted.
These are different examples of how networks are built and you don’t need to join large groups to do this.
I would love to hear stories and examples of how you tapped into the hidden job market. Did it work for you? If so what did you do? Also good to hear examples of what didn’t work for you.
