How to find hidden career opportunities

The National Careers Service says that unadvertised vacancies may account for 70–85% of opportunities in some industries.

Navigating the job market to find the best job for you can be confusing, and many people early in their job hunt feel they have exhausted all possible career options. They have discarded the more obvious advertised job roles and reached a dead end in their job search, arriving at the conclusion that they will never find a job that suits them.

Unfortunately, these people may be missing out on the hidden job market. They may also be missing the opportunity to find a job that closely fits their unique skills, values and personality.

If you don’t want to miss out, start broadening your job search strategy through networking. Networking can help you uncover hidden, unadvertised jobs. It involves connecting with people who have similar interests and finding out more about what they do.

By asking for other people’s knowledge and opinions, you can gain useful information to assist your job search and broaden your awareness of how your skills could apply to alternative employment. You may start discovering jobs you had not previously considered.

If you feel a little daunted by the idea of networking or think that people will be too busy and won’t want to talk to you, consider how you would react to someone who recognised your experience and asked for your advice. We all like to be helpful, don’t we? We also like to feel that our knowledge is valued. You may make them feel appreciated while potentially moving closer to finding the best job for you.

Start researching networking opportunities. Speak to people you already know as well as making new connections. You may uncover opportunities within the hidden job market and increase your chances of finding a successful and fulfilling career.

Networking can help you discover opportunities that may never appear in a job advert.