Get Out There & Network To Uncover Those ‘Hidden’ Job Opportunities

Even though you may not see lots of advertised positions in your field of interest, jobs get filled all the time. The job market is healthy, but it can still be a real tough one if you don’t manage your search properly. Busy managers barely have the time to write up the formal job description required, so any effort they can spare by not posting jobs is valuable. That is why many simply conduct their own networking to fill the job. They make a few calls, talk to some friends and soon the word is out. 

Writers have always referred to something called the “hidden job market,” which is what happens when so many roles are filled without being visible. To reach those hidden jobs you’ll need to be a part of the networking pipeline. Because these employers (or their representatives—HR or a headhunter) are doing their own networking, you need to be positioned at the other end of that process to be found. Both parties, you and your future boss, are essentially just talking to people about their needs. I’ve found that luck always favors the two who know how to network well. In my business, we refer to this as “reverse networking.” It makes your job much easier when you remember that there are people actively trying to find you, and all you must do is crank up the same process in reverse.

Networking Isn’t Selling

When I hear from job seekers, I often find that networking is seen as the nasty part of their hunt. They almost always comment that it takes some kind of innate flair for salesmanship. My belief is that this is a complete misconception. Reaching out when looking for work should be considered simply an extension of your normal, outgoing self. It’s only when you are not so outgoing than the process can indeed be uncomfortable.

“Networking is really a subtle skill,” one fellow panelist told the audience at a career seminar in which I participated. “Some people, notably those outgoing types, have the capacity to talk with many different people who can benefit them. It appears so easy for these few. For the rest of us, we must struggle. It’s easy to sound and feel like a rank amateur.”

This fellow, now a manager, had been asked how he landed his job at the great employer he works for. It turns out that he had initially experienced a tough search. He’d been with a company that had a 30% layoff; it was unexpected and he was suddenly out of work. It was frustrating to keep hearing the same advice from everyone he spoke with . . . “Get out there and network,” they would say. The problem was that no one backed up their advice with the specifics – it was all just the same word over and over.

As the seminar turned to other subjects, I could see the frustration on the faces of some audience members. That’s because our “network, network, network” focus came with no detailed description of the process. Yes…it’s difficult sometimes to ask someone for a few minutes of their time to talk about your need for employment. But it’s not complicated; it simply requires getting comfortable through repetition. Job-seeking networking is an inherently simple process that can be difficult to carry to completion. It isn’t salesmanship that wins the day. It is genuineness, courtesy and good listening skills!

Keys to Networking Success

When I first considered this topic, I thought that I would include a series of scripts that would show you how a networking contact might proceed. But I didn’t like the way it turned out, because it’s a mistake for me to put words into your mouth. The whole job search process works best when you approach it as the “real you.” Scripted conversations only end up sounding stilted.

Instead of scripts, in the sidebar above, I’ve included a series of pointers, each of which provides you with a nugget on the specifics of the process.

No ‘Bad’ Job Markets

When you are a job seeker, the job market always stinks, whether the economy is at 4% or 10% unemployment. That’s the strange part … talk to other job seekers and they will regale you with stories of interviews without offers or hundreds of networking contacts made. Don’t let that discourage you because no matter what degree and experience level you have under your belt, you’ll hear about the poor-to-mediocre job market awaiting you. And because you probably don’t have today’s lucky combination of whatever job gets filled immediately, you are going to need networking skills. 

Networking obviously goes far beyond the telephone, but what a wonderful instrument that unappreciated little device becomes in the hands of someone who knows how to use it to gain access to information and make new contacts at the same time. Doing this work will set you up for success, because you just never know when you’ll get a call or an e-mail lead that sends you down the right path because of your hard work.

David Jensen is the founder and managing director of CTI Executive Search, a unit of CareerTrax Inc, a leading search firm working in the life sciences. Previously, he had been a managing director at Kincannon & Reed, a 30-year retained executive search firm where his company, CareerTrax, had been a contractor. In 1985, Jensen founded and was CEO at Search Masters International (SMI), a top executive search practice working with biotechnology companies, which was sold in 2001 to a $4.4B human resources service firm. Prior to 1985, Jensen had established a life sciences practice for Govig and Associates (Phoenix, AZ). David’s email is davejensen70@gmail.com