There are plenty of jobs in the hidden job market, but without the right strategy, you won't be able to tap into its potential. Learning one surprising thing about that market's attitude can save you weeks of wasted time, and more importantly, get you a job you are the perfect fit for! (The secret is in the above video from one of our Career Q&A sessions.)
You're unique, but you're not special.
Those two words go hand-in-hand sometimes, but they don't always correlate. There's a very competitive job market currently, so you're not special in employers' eyes. However, no one has the exact same experience you do, which means your skills may be perfectly tailored to solve their problems.
How To Build A Unique Personal Brand
Once you find the right organization, you can reach out to them and build a more unique brand.
Get very specific with your career research. That may seem counter-intuitive, but it's the best way to find the right situation for yourself. If you cast too wide a net, you'll never be able to prove you're a significantly better choice than many other candidates, because you won't be able to invest as much time into each company.
Since having a giving mindset is so important to professional relationships, it's no surprise that the same applies for companies. Take the time to get to know people and their needs, because the only reason they would hire you is if you can fill those needs anyway.
Find 10 people in the space that are doing something you want to do, meet them and ask how they got there. If you earn that group's trust person by person, you'll be well on your way to a reputation as someone with a clear purpose in the job market.
It's not easy to get a hold of that many people in a given industry, but once you have their attention, you can show the value you would bring to them - regardless of whether or not you work for them in the future.
Don't spam them by asking for a job. Instead, ask what they would suggest for someone entering their field. While you learn what those tips are, you can mention some of the things you've done, your skills, and other things that would show you're a smart person working hard to accomplish your goal.
Next... Keep The Relationships Going And Reap The Benefits
After you've discovered and befriended a tight group within your target field, those individuals will start noticing positions that you would be the best choice for. Make sure you still keep in touch with them somewhat regularly though. Good working relationships require your time and effort.
There are a TON of opportunities like that, usually when a job hasn't even been posted. CAREEREALISM founder, J.T. O'Donnell as experienced, companies will wait for the right candidate. After you've put in hard work with the people closest to your situation, that will hopefully be you!
We may not all be special, but that's because we ALL have the ability to make an impact in our respective careers. If you enhance and emphasize what makes you unique during your professional life, you'll achieve something special: having a job you love and are great at.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.