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The hidden job market

Are you focusing your job hunt on publicly advertised positions? If so, then you are limiting yourself to just 20% of the jobs out there. Advertised positions are just the tip of the iceberg, because 80% of jobs are never advertised.

The secret to a truly successful job hunt is dividing your search time effectively between the wide varieties of available job sources:

Advertisements:

They are, of course, a great source of jobs, especially if you use all relevant publications, reply in time, think carefully about each job and target your responses to the specific advert. But don't rely exclusively on this method to find yourself a job.

Consider these other sources:

  • Careers service vacancy bulletins
  • National, regional and local newspapers
  • Graduate fairs
  • Job centres
  • Job finder (a service offered via teletext)
  • Specialist publications
  • Industry and company web sites

Milkrounds:

This is the system whereby graduates are recruited before they finish their degrees. It accounts for just 5% of graduate placements. You will usually be asked to apply via the company's application form (sometimes held by your on-campus graduate careers service). Candidates’ responses are scored and the most promising are short-listed. If you are invited to interview and it goes well, you may well be asked back for a second or more in-depth assessment interview.

Agencies:

These organisations work by advertising a position and carrying out initial interviews to screen individuals for specific positions. In other words, they handle the early stages of recruitment for an employer. They may retain a database of candidates to offer to employers seeking permanent and temporary staff.

Internet:

More than four million people used the Internet last year to search for work! Recruiters are viewing online applications as a more streamlined and effective system. Recent research suggests that online or e mailed applications are more likely to be prioritised over paper-based ’snail mail’ applications.

On spec:

This is an unsolicited or uninvited ‘speculative’ approach to an organisation wherein you ask to be considered for vacancies or positions that may or may not exist. Use this method to target organisations where you would like to work, or where you think there may be vacancies. Follow this three-step process: 1) send a letter and CV; 2) follow up with a phone call a week to 10 days later; 3) then phone or send a letter again after a suitable interval.

Conducting sufficient research is the key to success in your speculative campaign. Find out how you can get company and job vacancy listings together with one-to-one guidance on effective job hunting by visiting www.workingcareers.com . Alternatively, call 0845 310 0360 (calls charged at local rate) and speak to a Careers Advisor.

Networking:

This is done by using all of your contacts (and their contacts!) to gather the sort of information that will enable you to make a professional approach to an employer. Networking is best seen as a research exercise that leads to a speculative approach rather than simply asking: “Do you know of any jobs?”

For many job seekers, their idea of a productive job search is to send out numerous applications every week in the hope of being invited to interview. In fact, the key to success is to concentrate on carefully tailoring your applications and ensuring that you are practicing your various job-hunting techniques in the RIGHT way.

Do you make at least 10 to 12 job applications a week? Do you follow up all outstanding applications? Are you confident that you have the skills and knowledge to job hunt the smart way?

For further information check out Working Careers.They are able to offer you unrivalled guidance on how to achieve your job search goals. The Job Finder programme will teach you an invaluable life skill: how to practice the hidden techniques of job hunting.