• Posted on Apr 25, 2025

What is the hidden job market?

Some numbers point out that four out of five jobs are not posted publicly. Some numbers point to there being 70% of jobs available, but not posted publicly. I’m not sure what the exact reality of these numbers are – but I do believe there are many career opportunities that simply are not advertised for various reasons.  

Without going into depth about what all of those reasons may be, let’s focus on why it matters and what to do about it. These strategies can be especially helpful if you’ve had a hard time getting job offers through applying to traditional job postings. When the aforementioned fails, its a strong indicator that its time to diversify the ways in which you attract career opportunities.

The hidden job market matters because if you’re only applying to jobs that are posted, you’re missing lots of opportunities and making things harder for yourself. Posted jobs arguably have more competition because more people are applying to them. The internet has contributed to this because people can literally apply to jobs, practically anywhere despite their location.

One thing to keep in mind is that the hidden job market can include (1) internal job postings and (2) real needs within organizations that have not morphed into bonafide job postings yet.

Most people consider this to mean that only company employees can apply. In many cases, this is a myth. What often happens is an internal employee refers and recommends an external person for the internal role the public doesn’t know about. This externally referred person (who knew about the role via networking) can get hired right away, or the company will create a public posting after-the-fact for “transparency”.

Break into the hidden job market with networking and humbleness:

🌺 First, Network – Telling your friends and family you’re looking for a job, isn’t enough. Ask your friends and family to introduce you to people in the company or field you’re interested in. LinkedIn is also a great way to find people to ask for informational interviews. If you use LinkedIn, be sure to optimize your profile.

When meeting with folks, don’t ask for a job but meet with them to learn and get to know them. The topic of opportunities at their organization may come up organically. If it doesn’t, don’t initiate it. Instead, you could ask “what steps would you recommend to someone who’s interested in working with your company?” This is an open-ended question that could cause them to share opportunities with you or refer you to someone else they know who might be open to talking with you.

If you’re not reaching out to meet with folks in person or by zoom, you’re missing a whole world of opportunities and information. This is what networking can look like, but many of us are to afraid to ask to meet with someone. So instead, they apply to jobs day in and day out without diversifying their job search with networking. Then they when they feel rejected and disappointed when they receive bad news from employers or nothing at all.

🌺 Second, Be Humble and Strategic – The second strategy is to get a job at the company so you can qualify for the internal positions. What do I mean by this? Well,  let’s say you want to get your dream job as a 70k a year  IT Help-desk person at your dream company. However, these roles are very competitive. Instead of applying for a 70k Help-desk role, you apply for a customer service associate role for 55k. You have all of the skills to qualify and beyond. You know this job is “beneath” you. Plus, you don’t want to take a pay cut, of course. However, the company is exactly what you’re looking for and you’re willing to see the big picture. You’re willing to do what it takes to achieve you goals, even if it means stepping back to step up.

You are playing strategically and are in it for the long-game. You get an offer for the customer service associate role for 55k because compared to the others who applied, you were by far the best candidate. The organization is glad to get your skill set for only 55k. You stay at the job until a respectable time passes and you can apply for the next IT Help-desk job at 70k that you truly want.

Sometimes taking a year or so of baby steps into the right company and role make more sense than being unemployed for a year, trying to make the huge leap. Not only does your work-gap increase each month when you’re unemployed, but you’re not making any money at all. Don’t dismiss this strategy because you’ve convinced yourself that 0k is better than 55k, even when it means getting your foot in the door at your dream organization.

Take Action

In short, be creative and think outside of the norm. Networking takes time and effort and can be uncomfortable. However, in an interconnected world within a competitive job market, networking can be the action that makes the most difference in getting you to your goals, faster. Taking smaller steps can often lead to greater success than waiting for the perfect role to appear.

If you’d like help with this, visit my Career Wellness Store to get access to helpful career workshop replays, career consulting programs, and more!

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