| There is a hidden job market that most job seekers | | | | Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) to identify jobs |
| do not know about. The visible job market is only the | | | | you want and the skills and experience required to |
| tip of the iceberg because many of the best jobs are | | | | perform them. The OOH will also give you an idea of |
| not advertised. When I worked as a self-employed | | | | salary ranges for different jobs. |
| recruiter most of my job search assignments were | | | | * Conduct informational interviews with people in your |
| known only to the employer, a few people in the | | | | fields of interest to further your research. |
| company and me. | | | | * Contact people you know (and who they know) to |
| The good news for college graduates is that | | | | see if they can refer you to anyone who works for |
| unemployment is much less for them than for those | | | | your companies of interest. |
| with only a high school diploma. The bad news is that | | | | * Call hiring authorities directly and tell them what you |
| many college graduates are unemployed or under | | | | would like to do. Let them know how you could |
| employed and competing with many others for the | | | | contribute to and benefit their company. If they do not |
| better jobs. | | | | have job openings in your field of interest then ask for |
| The mistake that most job seekers make is to follow | | | | the names of two other hiring authorities in their field of |
| the crowd and to do what everybody else is doing. | | | | work. |
| This puts you in competition with too many people, | | | | * Join professional associations in your field of interest |
| especially during an economic downturn. Let's take a | | | | or go as a guest. You will meet people who work in |
| look at the job seeking methods most people use and | | | | this field and many hiring managers. |
| that are less likely to produce good results. Most job | | | | The second approach to uncovering the hidden job |
| seekers do the following: | | | | market is to create a job where no opening exists. |
| * Send out lots of resumes | | | | You will have no competition and can negotiate your |
| * Post resumes online | | | | income. Develop a written or verbal proposal for the |
| * Answer want ads | | | | companies that interest you. The research and |
| * Go to employment agencies | | | | informational interviews you've conducted should |
| * Go to job fairs | | | | enable you to determine which companies have need |
| It is okay to spend a small amount of your time using | | | | for an employee with your skills and interests. Your |
| the methods listed above, but not much, because | | | | proposal should state what the proposed job is and |
| these are the least effective job search strategies. | | | | how you can contribute to the company by solving |
| They are less likely to get you a good job when | | | | their problems. If your proposal demonstrates that you |
| compared to the two job search strategies that I am | | | | can contribute much more than you will cost the |
| going to present to you. | | | | company, it is likely that they will be interested in you. |
| So what are the best and most effective job search | | | | I have personally used this approach to create a job |
| methods? If you can find the unadvertised jobs you will | | | | that did not exist and have taught others how to do it. |
| have little or no competition. Many employers who | | | | This method works best with smaller companies, but it |
| have job openings do not advertise them or list them | | | | has been used successfully with large companies. For |
| with employment agencies, but prefer to ask their | | | | example, an acquaintance of mine created a job for |
| employees and other people they know to | | | | himself as a high school teacher. Public schools are |
| recommend someone. | | | | usually considered to be bureaucracies, but he was |
| There are two types of unadvertised or hidden jobs: | | | | able to use a proposal to create a job teaching |
| 1. Job openings that the employer knows about. | | | | several courses of interest that could be incorporated |
| 2. Jobs that could be created for the right person, but | | | | in already approved and existing courses. |
| no job opening currently exists. | | | | Keep in mind that even during the Great Depression |
| Let's look at the first one. How can you find these | | | | seventy five percent of the people were employed. |
| unadvertised job openings? Here are a few ways: | | | | Even in difficult times there are jobs if you can fulfill a |
| * First you must know the type of work that you want | | | | need. |
| to do, are suited for and feel passionate about. | | | | So be proactive and go directly after the jobs and |
| * Research. Go to the library and identify at least 25 | | | | companies that interest you. Find the hidden jobs that |
| companies of interest from directories of major | | | | already exist or create a new one. The reward for |
| employers. Examples would be Dun and Bradstreet's | | | | successfully using these proactive strategies can be |
| Million Dollar Directory and Standard and Poor's | | | | the blessing of discovering and obtaining a fulfilling |
| Register of Corporations. The librarian can help you to | | | | career-one that makes use of your enjoyable and |
| find other directories and resources for your research. | | | | best talents. |
| Select several companies of interest. | | | | Copyright 2009. |
| * Use the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and | | | | |