Another article I received recently from Kathleen Conners. I attended her recent job seeker seminar in Denver. The techniques she teaches for finding jobs are very different than the traditional approach that includes networking, informational interviews, job boards, etc. If you are in sales or business development, you can also use her techniques when trying to find the right decision maker I've posted two other articles she wrote on this blog under jobs and careers.
Everyone’s advice to job candidates is “find the hidden jobs”. Realistically, hidden jobs cannot be found until hidden companies are discovered! In a difficult job market such as the one being experienced today, hidden companies are those companies that are “making things happen”. Perhaps the company is experiencing high growth due to the introduction of a new product or service. Or a company can also be accelerating due to the elimination of its competition. Some companies are winning industry awards. Still other companies develop in order to comply with new laws, regulations, and tax codes. And companies that are receiving funding also create new jobs. Even in difficult economic times there are movers and shakers.
The logical approach becomes to first uncover hidden companies which have the hidden jobs. To discover these hidden companies requires creative research. Most of these types of companies will be in the private sector and not listed in published databases. The majority of these companies will also be small businesses as it is small business that creates 7 out of 10 jobs in the US. Once job candidates find these small private businesses that “make things happen” they can present themselves to these companies. Thus job candidates succeed in finding the hidden jobs!
During the last recession of early 1990, PeopleHirePeople studied companies that were “making things happen” for the times. Without the Internet, the most recent periodicals at the library were studied as well as contacting associations and organizations for current lists. Today the research techniques are simplified by using the Internet creatively.
The Internet makes finding hidden small businesses exceptionally easy. Recent industry articles are easily accessible. Using search engineers these types of articles can be found. Study each article for the companies mentioned and find each company website. Review latest lists of companies that have received industry awards. Find companies that have received funding.
One example used in lecturing by PeopleHirePeople is to follow the money trail. In earlier lectures at MBA programs, the consensus of the majority of the students was to work at a Fortune 500 company and many for those Fortune 500 companies on Wall Street. However times have changed. The major corporations are not hiring and instead are handing out pink slips. PeopleHirePeople demonstrates that many of the Fortune 500 companies had funding from the Small Business Administration (SBA) at one time in their history. To name a few: Intel, Apple, Outback, FedEx, Nike, Callaway, and Amgen. To MBA students, PeopleHirePeople’s advice has been to find a small private company and help it grow into one of the Fortune 500. Job candidates can uncover companies currently receiving some type of SBA funding for potential employment.
Approaching hidden companies must be done through personal contact. Start by using the phone. Mention that the recent article or latest list as to how the company was discovered. Do not rely on an email as an introduction. Too many emails get deleted, filter out by companies firewalls, etc. It is by engaging in conversation with one or more company employees that firsthand information on hiring is gained.
85% of jobs are never advertised! So to discover the hidden jobs start by uncovering hidden companies. Remember these hidden jobs often do not even appear on the company website. Consequently hidden jobs are truly discovered by directly contacting people in hidden companies.
Kathleen Conners developed PeopleHirePeople hunt& contact strategies for job search. She is a full time recruiter and a guest lecturer to MBA programs at major universities. Kathleen is the author of The Thrill of the Hunt: Get Real in Your Job Search. For more information go to her website at www.peoplehirepeople.com.


