We’ve covered some basics in career development and job search in part 1 and part 2. Before going into the practical side of your standard job searching tools, there’s an important thing to remember when looking for you next job - where to look.
There’s a common percentage division that says that the jobs and positions listed on job boards, be it online, or on paper, represents about 30% of the jobs that are actually available. That means that there’s a whooping 70% jobs and positions that you won’t get to if you focus your search on listed positions only. The exact percentage varies, but if we work from the 30/70 frame of reference, that alone tells you that for every three jobs you find, there’s another 7. What if the three you’ve found aren’t really what you truly want, and your dream job is somewhere among the “hidden” seven?
So how do you find the remaining 70%?
Answer: Do research on companies, network with people, and ask straight up questions like “are you considering hiring someone with my expertise?”. If you’re the right person, a company may create a position for you, they may realize that they need your competence. With more or less all companies having an online presence, this research is easy. Just as it is in many situations in life, if you want something, ask!
There’s no big magic trick to this. Keep your computer, or pen and paper, available, make notes as you do your research, make contact, ask questions, make notes during conversations, ask follow-up questions when you need to. Simply, be interested.
Also, keep networking. If you investigate your network, you’ll realize that you already have many contacts that can help you get in touch with people and opportunities. Never underestimate the opportunities in your network. You never what they may know, or who they know that they can put you in contact with.
Allow yourself to be vulnerable
This entails specifically to those out of a job. Suddenly having the label “unemployed” all over you yourself can be difficult, if not down right embarrassing. Most people don’t want to identify with being unemployed. Therefore allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and putting it out there that “I am looking for a job” can be a hard sell. However, today, with social media putting you in direct contact with a large network, who in turn can connect you to an even larger one, exposing your status is important. Who knows, maybe there’s someone out there looking for you, and who needs right now. Being able to start in a new job right away has its advantages. Being found, and finding professional people is the purpose of LinkedIn, and there many cases of people that have landed jobs after reaching out on facebook and twitter.
Consider of it this way: What’s the worst that can happen if you let your network know you’re looking for a job? And what’s the best that can happen?
In short: Network Network Network.
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