405. Expert Interview: Hacking the Hidden Job Market

“When I talk about the hidden job market, I’m not suggesting there’s a conspiracy to hide jobs from you. What’s going on is this: people hire people they know, or they hire people recommended to them by people they trust. Our challenge, when we are looking for work, is how do we become a part of the networks of potential employers and get in front of them so they will notice us and invite us in for an interview. I tell job hunters you’ve got to step away from the computer and get out there to meet and talk to people if you want to crack the hidden job market. To do this, you need to develop a networking strategy. The good news is, it can be learned. There are thoughtful, strategic and practical steps you can take to make that happen.”

With so much of our world digitized and Google-able, it’s tempting to think the job listings we find online are part of a comprehensive inventory of all available jobs. That’s simply not true. By all means, visit our job board and any of the 40,000 niche boards. But you should spend 50% to 70% of your time exploring and navigating that hidden job market, and much of that is done face-to-face.”