By Bob McIntosh, CPRW, MBTI
As I often think of things career-related, I thought about the Hidden Job Market (HJM) when my wife and I were shoveling our walkway. The problem I had was trying to locate another shovel whose location was only known by my wife. It’s under the snow pile, she told me.
Where exactly, I replied.
Under that huge pile, she pointed to a mountainous heap.
I first became interest in the HJM after reading Unlock the Hidden Job Market by Duncan Mathison. I speak often of the HJM when I lead workshops like Career Networking, LinkedIn, Job Search Letters, and whenever the urge hits me. The topic is appropriate in almost every workshop.
Similar to a jobseeker who wants to know where the jobs are, I want to know where the shovel is. My wife represents an employer—she’d love to hear this—or a knowledgeable contact, and knows exactly where the shovel is, or close to it. Fortunately I simply had to ask where the shovel was. In many cases the hunt for a job is not that easy for the typical jobseeker.
Let’s review the HJM. Most people know that 75-80% of the good jobs are hidden. (Some argue against this because they don’t believe in what they can’t see.) This means that 25-20% » Read more: Job Search Tips: Where’s the Shovel, Where’s the Job?
