Okay, so just getting started, we hear a lot about the hidden job market, what exactly is the hidden job market?

Carolyn: Well over 80% of jobs are never advertised as they get filled through word-of-mouth referrals. For example if a job becomes available in a company and an employee of that company recommends someone for that position, it can get filled before the position is even advertised. The average cost of filling an open position is $5000 when you factor everything in, such as advertising costs, staff time dedicated to the hiring process, head-hunter fees, etc. So if in employer can save money by filling positions without having to advertise then they will do this. 

Interviewer: Okay, so give that, what are some ways you would access this hidden job market? 

Michelle: Well there’s a number of ways, simply networking, so what you know is important, but who you know is also very important, just letting people know the type of work you’re trying to find. Hopefully they’ll tell their friends and maybe someone can refer you to a job that’s been posted internally or whatever it is.

Cold calls in another way, just calling up employers that you’re interested in. Most people are too nervous, too afraid to do this, so take advantage that if you decide to do this you’ll be one of the few people doing it, and chances are you’ll find someone who is hiring, maybe it’s not someone in your department that you’re interested in but it’s still good to make that connection with an employer.

And utilizing social media is another way, so if you have a LinkedIn profile, try to meet other people in your industry on LinkedIn and connect with them, make some connections, jobs are actually advertised on LinkedIn as well.

Interviewer: I would have thought of cold-calling a company, is that something you find is effective for clients?

Michelle: Yes, well recently one of our clients had some success with cold-calling. She was someone who wasn’t feeling too good about her job search, things weren’t working out very well and we gave her a pep-talk and she decided to make a short list of employers, she called one in particular up and they, this was great luck, they happened to be in the process of hiring someone, actually they had offered someone a job but they had turned it down. So the employed said “Hey, why don’t you send me your resume?” and she did, she was interviewed, and she starts on Monday, I believe. So that was a great success story.

Interviewer:  So networking, what would be some specific examples of networking that someone would want to get involved with?

Michelle: Well there are a number of ways to network, so it could be just joining an employment finding club, or an employment service where you can meet not only other job seekers buy potentially other employers as well. Toastmasters could be another way, just actually getting out there and meeting other people, even if it means just talking to someone you bump into on the street. We had another client who had success doing that. 

Carolyn: Yeah he spoke with someone he saw at the bus stop everyday and he found out that this person was in the same industry and this person happened to be carrying his networking cards at the time, so he got a card from him and so he got a good connection that way. 

Interviewer: Cool, so on that last note, so networking cards, I’ve heard about this, so what’s that?

Michelle: Well it’s essentially a business card for someone who’s looking for work, so you have your card with your name and your contact information. Maybe underneath your name you list the type of work you’re seeking and then you list some bullet points like you would in your résumé, maybe 4 or so with your top skills or your top accomplishments. Leave the back of the card blank. And that’s your calling card and you would give that to people you meet when you don’t have your resume with you. 

Interviewer: Great, wow, that’s some great tips there for finding job leads and accessing the hidden job market. Well thanks so much for talking with us today.