The Hidden Job Market

Many unemployed people respond to the published job ads unaware not only of the futility of their efforts but also unaware that there is a significantly greater job market that is untapped by them and hence, remains out of their grasp.

Automated Searches

This search direction toward public jobs has been exacerbated by the sense of security offered by plethora of on-line job search engines, job-hunt clubs and automated job postings. Just because a ineffective method has been tweaked or peaked by automation it will still never be the right direction for a job search. It is just as much an improbable situation as thinking that an automated submarine will now be able to fly. The alternative is to explore the Unseen job market – one that numbers about 100 new job opportunities per day in a 1 million population city.

If not Published, then Where?

Between 60% and 80% of all jobs that become available are not seen by the public, which we call the “Unseen” jobs. That imbalanced percentage alone justifies the pursuit of the Unseen job market. But there is even better news for such job seekers: less than 5% of people looking for work pursue the Unseen job market. You do the math: • Unseen: 5% of people looking at 70% of the jobs or • Public: 95% of people looking at 30% of the jobs. No wonder the job search seems like a zoo!

The Unseen Job Market

Pam, who is extremely busy, had her righthand man, Brad, suddenly resigned. She has been desperately looking for 2 weeks to fill the void left by Brad who up and quit for no apparent reason. In these 2 weeks Pam not only has had to do her own job, she has had to fill in for the priority tasks associated with Brad’s job too. Pam worked 60 hours a week before Brad left and with Brad’s departure, her weekly hour count has shot up. Not only has this made Pam’s life miserable, it has made it almost impossible for Pam to systematically search for a replacement for Brad.

The Terrible Alternative

The first problem is that the public job search is like a lottery. Remember the 95% of job-seekers looking at 30% of the jobs? There may be dozens of applicants for this job. So aside from any other consideration if you are among a dozen applicants your chances are 1 in 12. That is a terrible ratio. You would walk away from a poker game if you were confronted with such odds. Finally, after countless applications, many without any response whatsoever, and the sense of futility, the job-seeker begins to realize the awful truth – if they are fortunate – that they are not going about the job hunt the right way. The less fortunate ones either develop a negative fatalistic attitude (There is no job in the cards for me now) or worse, a negative self esteem (What’s wrong with me?) Of course there is nothing wrong with you; you still have great skills to offer the market – just as you had in your previous job. And, forget the fatalistic approach: there is a great job waiting for you – in fact, there probably are two or three terrific jobs.

What happens in the Unseen?

Once you engage in pursing the Unseen job market within your skill set, you will reach a point where, thanks to a good friend or a connection, you arrive on Pam’s doorstep. She has a job
that needs to be filled. Based on the assumption that you are qualified for the opening (otherwise you wouldn’t be considered for the job and you wouldn’t want the job, anyway) Pam, upon
seeing that you are qualified, views you as a gift from heaven. She’s in a crisis and you, by accepting the job, could relieve her of her current considerable unpleasantness. Does Pam have a list of six candidates to inspect? Not likely. In fact, to date you are the first qualified person to come in her door. Is she going to wait for a few more qualified people to show up? No! She’s desperate for relief. If you fit, you will get the job.

Finding the Job

The point of this article is to tell you that you should spend your greater efforts looking in the ‘Unseen’ job market rather than the reverse – the publicly advertised job market where most people search. How do you connect to an unseen target? This is where my expertise fits in. I help individuals take the steps in the right direction.

You need to develop a program of contacting people that will ultimately lead you to an opportunity.

Summary

Focus on the right job market – the unseen one – not only increases your odds by one hundred to one, but also such pursuits often results in your being the only applicant for the job.

The Unseen job market avoids all the difficulties of rejection in the public job market, because employers while they’re in a hurry, they are in a hurry to fill the job, not to reject people.

Book of The Month

In today’s volatile business world, success requires an edge–a factor that sets you apart from the crowd. Corporate coach Frances Cole Jones understands that challenging times demand immediate solutions, and The Wow Factor provides vital information that will help you rise to the top–fast.

Who needs the Wow Factor? Executives seeking to reinvent themselves, recent graduates facing fierce competition, entrepreneurs looking for funding in a world where funding is seemingly nonexistent, or anyone who has been downsized, outsourced, or simply blindsided by harsh economic realities. In her proven “Search and Destroy” format, Jones shares thirty-three things you must (and must not) do to survive in a moment that demands solutions, shortcuts, and less sugarcoating.

With this book, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify and transform the qualities that dull your edge
• Restore your confidence in these days of “look hungry, go hungry”
• Target your dream job, out-prepare your interviewer, and get your résumé to the top of the pile
• Fine-tune the “soft skills” that will amplify your network
• Perfect your written communications–text, email, snail mail
• Follow the “Do It, Delegate It, or Delete It” Rule
• Get the ten worst business sayings out of your vocabulary
• Implement “the Six Layers of Why” for maximum impact when interviewing, branding, or selling
• Leverage the value of timing, silence, and the verbal one-two punch

Through critical, perfectly timed advice, amusing anecdotes, and proven strategies, Frances Cole Jones gives you the tools you need–daring, fluidity, and mental strength–to stay afloat in a sink-or-swim environment. The Wow Factor will help you ensure that your ideas and skills remain both timely and timeless, so that you’ll have the confidence to wow everyone, every time.

7 Steps To A Perfect Life

The notion of having a perfect life can at first sound daunting, but it's quite simple actually. There are 7 steps to having A Perfect Life. Follow the 7 steps -- or customize them to fit your needs -- and you're there!

Step 1.
Define success for yourself.
You should be very clear on the 3 ways you measure success in your perfect life.

Step 2.
Identify your 25 key elements of A Perfect Life.
Identify the 25 items that you currently have or would need to have to comprise A Perfect Life.

Step 3. Get your life in very good shape.

Step 4.
Let go of stuff that's in the way of your having A Perfect Life.
This stuff includes certain people, obligations, problems, dynamics, ideas and behavior.

Step 5.
Invest in what you need to make A Perfect Life likely within 12 months.
These investments include into your environment, skill set, network, education, and body.

Step 6.
Make the 25 Perfect Life elements happen in your life within 12 months.
You reach the 25 items much faster when you're working on them with others, especially family and a coach.

Step 7.
Integrate all 25 elements of your Perfect Life.
The more interconnected the elements of your life are, the more sustainable A Perfect Life is.

Copyright 2000 by Thomas Leonard and 2006 by CoachVille LLC.

Stacy Lewis, M.A., S.R.C.
Seattle, WA 98155
Phone: 206-948-4026
Fax: 206-364-8588
Email: Stacy@SL-Lifecoach.com