Even More Job Ideas...from both Hirers and Hirees are always welcomed. Please email to jan.carrie.steven@gmail.com and I'll be sure to give you credit. Thank you! Rebecca Metschke, author of The Interview Edge, has written this column: The Hidden Job Market - How to Make it a Lot More Visible to You A sizeable percentage of jobs are never advertised. Restricting your search to the public market, therefore, will significantly limit your options. Check the newspaper want ads, Internet job boards and company career opportunities posted online - absolutely! But don't limit yourself to these listings. Especially when the economy is soft, you need to know how to find the hidden jobs - those that are open (or may soon become open) but unpublicized. The key is to tap into the vast network of resources available to you. Finding these hidden jobs will take a little extra work, but the rewards are great; you'll be steps ahead of the competition - many of which are passive job seekers. Thinking you don't have many resources at your disposal? You're wrong. Here are just a few avenues that you can use to uncover the hidden market: Remember this: word of mouth is very likely the key to how you're going to land your next job. Let people know you're looking for work. Certainly you'll want to talk with friends, relatives and ex-coworkers. But don't stop there. You never know when a casual mention that you're on the market may result in a tip that so-and-so is hiring. Better yet, it might get you a referral or recommendation. The acquaintance you're in line with at the coffee shop; the friend you run into at the gym; people from church; another parent sitting next to you at the kids' soccer game; any of these folks could lead you to your next job. Maybe you've identified a list of target employers for which you'd like to work. Use your network to find a way to get introduced to someone who already works at one of those companies. It's not impossible...it's that 6 Degrees of Separation concept and you can get there. Somebody knows somebody who knows somebody... You are much more likely to get an interview if someone refers you to the hiring manager - even indirectly. Get creative. Be proactive. Make sure people are aware of your search. The hidden job market will become a lot more visible to you. You can purchase a copy of Rebecca's book The Interview Edge at www.TheInterviewEdge.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently. - Warren Buffett
|
