How to Access the Hidden Labour Market

The best place to start your job search networking is with people you already know.

You have built up a rapport and relationship with people you already know, and people you already know generally want good things for you, so they are a great place to start your job search networking efforts.

Google Alerts to stay up-to-date.

Go to the Google Alerts webpage and type the industry, employers, or decision-makers you want to keep track of. Afterwards, you will start getting emails with recent news that Google gathered.

News Alerts Sign-Up via Newsletter

  In this manner, you are one of the firsts to know if someone is leasing an additional office space, signing a partnership deal, or receiving new funding. These all indicate that a company might be hiring soon.

Professional Associations or Societies.

 If you join professional associations or groups, this is a good way to talk to and network with those in your industry. Note that for students, membership fees are customarily available at a discounted price.

Employer Alumni Associations.

 Numerous employer alumni groups are a formation of people who are previous employees of a particular company. Usually, they are just a group of friends who come together from time to time or simply stay in touch on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Alumni Associations. 

Your alumni association in university or college (even high school) can be a truly helpful resource. Many schools actually provide a career center for their alumni. You can tap into the network, as represented by others who have attended the same school.

Media Research. 

Read local and international news and journals and watch the television for the latest on what is going on with companies in your vicinity. If you see someone being interviewed on TV, send then a cold email or connect on social media to build connection.

Jobs Pages of Companies. 

Target and research companies that you find interesting. Actually, many companies have referral programs internally, so current employees can make referrals. So do not just set aside going to a company’s main website.

Social Networking Sites.

 If you use social networking sites, always keep your profile updated and refreshed. Try to join groups and participate in the discussions. This is so people can become familiar with your name and your work and eventually try to seek you out.

Online Discussion Groups. 

There are online discussion groups on every topic on job searches. First, look for the industry or company that is of interest of you and join their group. Keep in mind, while they can be a fount of information, there is also misinformation present.

Conferences, Trade Shows, and Conventions.

Attending will allow you to get new contacts who can inform you about job postings that have not yet been posted, aid you in getting that job interview, offer access to influential persons with the hiring power, and

find employers that are currently in its growth cycle that might be searching for staff members soon. Try to attend at least one major event every year in your industry.
Conferences, trade shows, and conventions are the best places to look for hidden jobs.

Connection with Professors and Industry Peers. 

Traditional face-to-face networking with good professors and industry peers are good. These face-to-face interactions with people you know well (or would like to get to know better) are helpful.

Previous professors may have former students who are working in the company you are interested in or have connections to the industry you are hoping to be a part of. In addition, industry peers could have insiders in companies that you might like to join.

Connection to Insiders. 

Attempt to talk to industry and company insiders. This will help you know what is happening, so you can target your career path and job search efforts. You can find them in the conferences, trade shows, and conventions & during your networking efforts.

Direct Employer Contact. 

Yes it takes a lot to ask for an interview. However, smart recruiting managers are always on the lookout for professionals that can help their company. Research who the recruiting manager is and be courageous. Call or email them to introduce yourself.

Be ready to explain your background & your experience & how it can be useful to their company. In this manner, even if the company is currently full or there is a hiring freeze, they'll remember you once positions become available. Use LinkedIn for connecting to hiring managers.

Informational Interviews. 

Informational interviews are not job interviews. Instead, it is a meeting that you can arrange with an industry expert. This will help you ask them questions on what they are doing so you can get career advice, if they have any.

Your objective is to get as much information as you can from an expert. In this manner, you increase your network and find leads for employment. If you are just starting your career, is that you will immediately find out what it takes to be a success in your field.

Marketing and Establishing yourself as an Information Source in the Industry. 

Try to market and establish yourself as a source of information for your industry. You can send your contacts (individually, of course) links to interesting articles around once or twice every year.

Keep your email short and simple. By doing this, the information is connected to you immediately and you are perceived as a well-read and valuable source of information. Alternatively, make sure you learn as much about your targeted companies and that you can talk about them

intelligently and comfortably.
As soon as you have become knowledgeable about those companies, write letters to them. Do not ask for a job directly. Request instead for an informational interview. This allows you to show that you have expertise in your industry.

Relationship with the Decision-Makers. Do not wait for a job to be posted. Start the contact with a hiring manager in a company you would like to work for and start a conversation. If you have no contacts within the company, search their website for important email addresses.

However, avoid the human resources department. Ask the employees to refer you to the particular head of the department you are targeting. You have to make sure you talk to the person who makes the decisions. They would know about the job opening even before human resources.

As soon as you are in contact with the decision maker, ask for their ideas and advice. When you ask for advice, you can actually get a job offer faster than asking for a job directly. Such a discussion could lead to information that you may need more education, training,

or experience in a particular company or field. Remember, however, for this to work, you have to be genuine and sincere.

Smart Networking. If you want to start tapping into your existing network, do not immediately contact them and say you are looking for a job. Begin with a personal note and ask if they are doing well.

Afterwards, do let them know that you are looking for a job. People are usually turned-off by persons who contact them unexpectedly, asking if they can get a position in their organization. Just make sure to establish that you are not leaning on them.

Show that, regardless if you want a job in their company or not, you would still contact them nonetheless. What you need is information from them, because information can lead to a job. You can get industry gossip to company leads.

So, when your contact asks you to apply for an online job, follow-up with whom you can learn more about the job opening. Thus, apply, but try to follow through other areas of access. Generally, you have to make networking a habit and not only when you require a job.

If you incorporate networking in your regular routine, you will immediately raise your possibilities of hearing about hidden job opportunities. 

Also, remember to dig your well before you are thirsty.

So make sure you stay in touch with your previous colleagues and always keep on adding more connections through LinkedIn. Just remember the important rule of networking – to give before you receive. Networking should build authentic relationships and request for favors.

Spread the Word of Your Search. 

If you are unemployed or underemployed or seeking career transition, do not let your fear of asking for help be your downfall. An important link to the hidden job market is through your personal networks including neighbours, family, & friends.

You should not be embarrassed asking your personal network on who they know is hiring. When you talk to your personal contacts, let them know of the employers, fields, and positions that interest you. This starts the investigative process so you can delve into those hidden jobs.

Volunteering and Internship. 

Volunteering is a good way for you to get your foot in the door. You can show your enthusiasm and skills whenever you volunteer. If you cannot seem to find work experience via people you know, go to the organizations that you like directly.

Learn as much as you can about the organization before you volunteer, so you can convey your true interest in their values, projects, and activities. Speak about the knowledge and skills that you have and how it can benefit their company.

Volunteering can provide excellent opportunities to build relevant experience as well as good opportunities to get to know new people in your industry and find unadvertised leads. Volunteering can be a great strategy for networking for a job.

Cold Calling.

Cold calling is probably the most nerve-wracking of all job search techniques. Cold calling for jobs means different things to different people. Avoid completely random cold calling.

Research companies using business directories & the Internet so you know a bit about them before you contact them. Before you call, do your best to find the name of the person you want to speak with. Make your calls in an environment that isn't noisy & where you feel comfortable.

Try calling early in the day or just before the end of regular business hours. If you get put through to voice mail, do leave a message, but keep the ball in your court, don't ask the individual to call you back. 

Be aware of busy times in your industry or the target company.

Trade Journals: .

Agreat resource for finding unadvertised as well as advertised jobs. Subscribing to trade journals in your industry will help you to keep up to date with your field, and you'll be aware of new developments that will impact staffing needs within your industry.

Business Directories.

Discover why business and industry directories, which you can often access for free online or at your local library, can be great research tools to help you access the hidden job market.

Look for Unadvertised Jobs Online and in the Newspaper.

You've probably used online job boards to look for ads and newspaper classifieds to find advertised jobs in the paper, but did you know that the Internet and newspapers can be used to find unadvertised opportunities?

Temporary Employment Agencies

Searching for work through temporary employment services falls into the hidden category because the positions that are available through these agencies are not advertised and generally not accessible to people who do not sign on with the agency.

Employment Resource Centers.

One great and often overlooked resource is your employment resource center. You might be surprised by the support, resources and leads (both advertised and unadvertised) you can find at these centers.

Newspaper Ads

Local papers are still a useful source for leads. If you don't want to invest in a subscription to your local paper, look for their classified section online, or read the paper at your library.

Online Ads

There are an enormous number of sites where you can look for jobs online. Learn how to use your time wisely when you are job searching online.

Help Wanted Signs

Is it worthwhile to search help wanted signs when you are looking for work?It really depends on what type of work you are seeking. In some types of work, searching for help wanted signs could be a great source of leads.