
When deep into a job search it can become easy to simply default to job boards as they are sure fire way to find opportunities relevant to yourself without too much effort. The issue with relying on this one method is that you can miss a lot of opportunities on the hidden job market, more specifically roles that are not advertised publicly but are ready to be hired for.
For whatever reason be it cost, time or discretion, not every job will be posted on public job boards. Knowing this, if your intention is to check job boards daily and sit back waiting for new roles to be posted, I am sorry to say that you are restricted your chances of success.
It is therefore best to cast a wide net with your job search. Utilise different methods that include the advertised and non-advertised job market, leveraging as many options along the way as you can.
Throughout this article we will explore some of the key places in which to expand your job search, some you may know and just need a refresher and others might be new to you.
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Use a Recruiter
We have discussed this at length before but a trusted recruiter in your niche will typically have access to opportunities before they are publicly advertised, especially if they are well known in the market.
Companies will seek out strong recruiters who can deliver and then will partner with them, sharing critical openings that might require discrete searches or sharing insights into hiring plans to generate the right pipeline at the right time throughout the year.
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Leverage Your Network
As we have already mentioned companies often share openings internally before externally. Knowing this it is best to network regularly with peers, mentors and the like to expand what opportunities might organically reach out, this method should be a consistent approach not only when you’re looking for something as you could come across as a user.
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Target Employers Directly
Something we would always encourage anyone is to have a target list of employers they would love to work for. You can generate this list based on the work type, industry, knowledge level and so much more.
The idea is to have a list in which you can consistently network around using social media to expand your presence among the team with the intent long-term either being one of the first to know about an opportunity or being familiar to the hiring team for when you do apply.
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Apply through the Companies Careers Site
Advertising via job boards can become costly, especially if the company is hiring a lot. Typically you will find a company share a few select, maybe the more difficult opportunities via the job boards and then the rest of their openings are public to those who take the extra step and specifically look at their website.
It is free for them and takes less than 3 minutes for you to check.
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Utilise Social Media
LinkedIn is the tool of choice for many who read these article and likely you go to social platform. The simplicity of the platform combined with the purpose of generating business connections is great for fostering the right network around you that you can then tap into throughout your career for non-advertised roles.
However, LinkedIn is just one tool of many. Don’t forget not everyone will have an account, some actively leave them dormant and are best found on other platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Slack etc.
Identify the platforms that are best related to your niche and network accordingly.
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Build your Online Presence
Expanding on finding the platform that related to your niche, focus on cultivating an online presence that highlights not only your skills but professional reputation.
There is not right or wrong time to start such a journey. We know many individuals who have documented from the very beginning of their career and others who didn’t start until they were in a management role.
Sharing regular content could open up new connections, opportunities and chances to collaborate on projects previously unknown to you.Â
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Attend Job Fairs
Not as common these days for those in the professional field already, typically you find job fairs for university or bootcamp graduates but they are a great way to meet a larger number of prospective employers in a short period of time.
If you cannot attend in person, we would suggest still signing up to gain updates as usually they have sponsors who likely are attending the event and hiring to which you can learn more about and approach in a different way (an extra hint, this also works for conferences, look at who has a booth and who is sponsoring for hidden opportunities).
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As you can see there is a lot more ways to find an opportunity than simply refreshing the same two or three job boards. Create a plan that works best for you to tap into these other methods and explore what roles come up that maybe you haven’t seen before.
Feel free to share this with someone who you feel might benefit from reading this article and collectively lets simplify recruitment.
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