Forum - Ask the Hiring Manager

QUESTION:

I am a recent York University Graduate in Canada. Would you have any information or tips for Canadian Graduates on accessing the hidden job market.

Thanks!

From: N. Pereira, York University


ANSWER FROM BRIAN KRUEGER:

The "hidden job market" is not much different in Canada than in the U.S. It is considered "hidden" because it's not advertised, it's not posted at the local job service, it's not to be found in the libraries, it's not listed in any public communication.

So where is it?

Simply put, the hidden job market consists of those jobs that are filled before they are publicly posted. They are "hidden" from you and I because we are not on the inside of the company. It may be a new opening in the department down the hall. It may be talked about among co-workers. It may be posted on an internal bulletin board. It might even be listed in an internal employee newsletter. But it is still considered to be hidden from the public view until it is externally posted or advertised.

The reason internal jobs are so widely known inside the respective companies is that most companies have very active employee referral programs, whereby current employees are incented to refer individuals they are aware of that may fit a particular position. They are incented often with money (as much as several thousands of dollars, in some cases), awards, or just simple recognition.

So how do you tap into this hidden market? By networking. By making contact with friends. Neighbors. Friends of friends. Friends of neighbors. Friends of your parents. Former professors. Former classmates. Professional associations. In short, anyone and everyone that might be able to connect you with someone that may have information about a potential job.

Does it work. Absolutely! And the beauty of this formula is that if you are connected with a job that has not yet been publicly posted or advertised, your competition may be virtually nil. Think about it.

Networking should be much more than a last gasp strategy of the truly desperate. It should be the cornerstone of any successful job search. If you need more information on how to network, who to contact, how to contact, even down to specific scripts that you can use, please see Chapter 6 - Network Intelligence Gathering in my book.

Make networking the cornerstone of your job search and make your own luck!

Do you have a question that you would like to have answered here in this forum? Send your question direct to Brian Krueger.

All job search information at this forum is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter, the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission of the author.