In my recent survey, I found that 68% of all jobs are sourced internally. This means that if you’re going to find your next job, then you need to stay away from job boards and recruiters and focus on networking and using your contacts to let you know what jobs companies are recruiting for, but not advertising.
In this blog post, we’re going to focus on looking at ways that you can find your next job, even though it’s not being advertised anywhere.
Job Boards
With the current job market as it is, companies are cutting back on their recruitment budgets for advertising as it’s both expensive and doesn’t always produce results. From personal experience, often I receive several thousand applications for each role that I place on a job board. While there’s usually a few good CVs, the percentage of quality applications is very low.
If a candidate is applying for roles from a job board, they will often try their luck by applying for positions that they know they’re not suitable for, when they might be better suited to other roles that aren’t available on job boards.
What candidates need to understand is they’re making their own lives more difficult; this method is very time-consuming and relies on quality, not quantity, to succeed.
Finding Jobs That Aren’t Advertised
Companies are now increasingly less likely to use job boards, knowing that they will receive thousands of CVs with little or no chance of having the workforce to read them all. Meanwhile, if you can apply for one qualified job a day from a job board, then you are doing very well.
However, it’s worth investing your time into finding a position that is not advertised as it will almost certainly pay off given that there will be very little competition. The following sections describe how.
It’s Not Always What You Know
Networking is the key to being successful in your job search. You need to make sure that all of your friends, family members, former colleagues and bosses, and any business acquaintances you know or have met along your career know that you’re looking for a new job.
A reference from your former boss showing how great a candidate you are will go a long way to securing a role. Personally, the best candidates that I meet have all been referred to me by one of my clients. I know that meeting this candidate will not be a waste of time because it came from a personal recommendation.
The same applies to companies: If a Director recommends a candidate to another Director, they will be taken seriously and will be interviewed. A direct reference is worth its weight in gold, and something that you should look out for at every step of your job search.
Be Prepared to Pick up the Telephone
Contacting HR, for the most part, is a waste of time as they’re typically swamped looking at candidates for the jobs they’re recruiting for. If your CV is perfect, then they will speak with you, but if your CV is not perfect, it will be placed in a file never to be seen again.
Hiring Managers, on the other hand, could be an excellent option for you as they will often look at your experience to see if you could be useful to them. Usually, when a Hiring Manager is looking for a candidate, they will understand that the perfect candidate already has the perfect job and more than likely does not want to move roles.
The Hiring Manager is therefore likely to be more flexible and focus on what you can bring to the table in terms of experience. To find out who the relevant Hiring Manager is, have a look at the company website or LinkedIn for their name and give them a call. If you’re looking for a new job in sales, then ring up the Head of Sales and ask them if you can send your CV for positions they have. A phone call will show that you’re determined for both the role and company and set you apart from the many thousands of other CVs that they receive.
Right Place Right Time
Getting your dream job is often about being in the right place at the right time. Keeping this in mind, an excellent opportunity for us to get a great job would be to make sure that we’re already working in the company when they start to recruit.
As an example, what happens if we’re working in a temporary role in that company when they start to recruit? The Hiring Manager will have a chance to see your work, how you fit into the team and where you can add value.
All of this reduces the risk that you’re not going to work out for them because they can see that you’re already working out – meaning that they are more likely to hire you on a permanent basis. Temporary jobs are a fantastic way to find a job that is not being advertised and puts you right at the front with little or no competition.
Social Media
According to JobVite in the USA, a massive 87% of companies use Linkedin.com for their recruitment. Two out of three said they use another social media platform for recruitment, with Facebook and Twitter having the next highest percentages.
You need to make you that you’re part of this and that you have a well-presented LinkedIn.com profile that is both factual and recruiter-friendly. Within your profile, you need to make sure that you use plenty of relevant keywords and phrases that match your specific experience and skill set and ensure that, when a recruiter runs a search for specific keywords that match your experience, your profile is returned.
If I can’t find a candidate for a role I’m recruiting for, the first place I turn to is linkedin.com. This is the same for many recruiters that I know working around the world.LinkedIn groups are also important, so make sure that you join as many relevant groups as you are permitted to. Let’s say I’m looking for a Sales Manager. The first place I will go within LinkedIn is to a Sales Recruitment group and have a look to see if any candidates are seeking a new job. If I look at your profile, chances are I will connect with you.
Twitter is also becoming a great place to look for candidates. While I don’t currently use it, I know many people who look for candidates and have found jobs using this social media platform.
Job Alerts to your Email Box
Given the importance of email these days, all job boards provide a service that allows you to sign up and receive job adverts that relate to your experience. Make sure that you sign up for these so that the minute a new job is created, you’re one of the very first to reply to it.
You are much more likely to get a reply to a job advert if your CV is one of the first that has been sent rather than relying on your recruiter to get through the thousands of CVs that have been sent for each role.
Thinking outside of the box, you could also use Google alerts to get regular emails with events that might lead to a new job. For example, if a company is planning a hiring spree and then you could make sure that your CV ends up on the right table, or maybe you could search for “sales manager jobs”, so that when Google finds any new companies that are looking for a Sales Manager, you’re the first to know.
Trade Fairs and Conferences
You can find the times and places for these online. They are a great place to find lots of potential employers together in one place. All you have to do is walk around the room and network, as the Hiring Managers are all sat in front of you.
Be Different
Think about ways to stand out from the crowd when contacting companies. Everyone sends their CV and a cover letter. Can you think of something different that will make a difference and actually get someone to spend some time on your CV?
As an example, at Easter, you could send your CV with an Easter Egg, or you could prepare a business plan on a new idea that would use their existing business to make new money.
Nick Jones
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