The hidden job market

[MoU_Team]

It may come as a surprise to many job seekers to learn that up to 80% of job vacancies don’t get advertised. These ‘invisible’ vacancies are referred to as the ‘hidden’ job market.

It can be expensive to advertise a vacancy, so employers may choose not to do so if they know it can be filled through word of mouth, internal advertising, head-hunting, or by already having people on file.

Some competitive industries have so many potential candidates pro-actively seeking work that employers don’t advertise vacancies at all.

Finding jobs which aren’t advertised may sound like hard work. But a bit of effort can reap rewards.

If you want to enter a popular industry, digging out unadvertised vacancies will improve your chances. It also shows potential employers your commitment to and enthusiasm for a particular job or company.

Many employers may have work available but haven’t got round to advertising the post. If you happen to contact them at the right time, this may well save them a job.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t bother looking at advertised vacancies. It’s just useful to be aware that what you see advertised is only a fraction of what is out there.

Finding hidden job vacancies is all about being pro-active.

There are various ways of unearthing hidden vacancies including networking through people that you know, approaching organizations speculatively and looking for work experience opportunities to prove your worth to a company.