Job Seekers Tap Into 'Hidden' Job Market
You've heard about trendy bars with unmarked doors or red-hot restaurants with unlisted phone numbers? Now there's a hidden job market, too.
A new study by online career site FindEmployment revealed that nearly 80 percent of job seekers are looking to take advantage of the "hidden job market." The hidden job market means that companies are creating roles for candidates who express interest in working for the company.
Job candidates have different methods of finding success in the hidden job market. The research found that nearly 40 percent of applicants believe the best way to approach opportunities in the hidden market is by identifying companies they would like to work for and then sending those companies their résumé. Three in 10 candidates, however, prefer to present themselves personally and request an interview to showcase the talent, research and solutions they could bring to the company.
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Additionally, one-quarter of those surveyed think the best strategy is to research the company's strengths, weaknesses and competitors.
"Job seekers globally need to take advantage of every means of enhancing their visibility in front of employers when they are searching for a job, particularly with such fierce competition with publicly advertised roles," said James Weaver, director of FindEmployment. "The determination to research a company and personally approach them with a tailor-made résumé emphasizing the contributions that you can bring to their company showcases commitment, drive and ambition that can make you stand out as an asset to that company."
The study revealed that people thought employees who were advancing in their careers had utilized the hidden job market the best, followed by the unemployed and graduates searching for their first job.
The "underground" job-searching method appears to be gaining steam: Overall, 55 percent of those surveyed plan to use some hidden-job-market search techniques in the future.
"It is definitely an approach to job seeking that I would advocate," Weaver said.
This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+. This story originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.
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