Career Coaching Focuses on the Unseen Job Market
Almost like lemmings, masses of unemployed people respond to the published job ads unaware not only of the futility of their efforts but also that there is a significantly greater job market that is untapped and as a result, remains out of their grasp - the unseen job market.
Automated Searches
This search direction toward public jobs has been exacerbated by the sense of security offered by plethora of on-line job search engines, job-hunt clubs and automated job postings. Just because an ineffective method has been tweaked or peaked by automation it will still never be the right direction for a job search. It is just as much an improbable situation as thinking that an automated submarine will now be able to fly. The alternative is to explore the unseen job market - one that numbers about 100 new job opportunities per day in a 1 million population city.
If not Published, then Where?
Between 60% and 80% of all jobs that become available are not seen by the public, which we call the "Unseen" jobs - 150 per day just in Ottawa. That imbalanced percentage alone justifies the pursuit of the Unseen job market. But there is even better news for such job seekers: less than
5% of people looking for work pursue the Unseen job market. You do the math:
• Unseen: 5% of people looking at 70% of the jobs or
• Public: 95% of people looking at 30% of the jobs. No wonder the job search seems like a zoo!
The Unseen Job Market
Beverley, who is extremely busy, had her right hand man, Harold, suddenly resign. She has been desperately looking for 2 weeks to fill the void left by Harold who up and quit for no apparent reason. In these 2 weeks Beverley not only has had to do her own job, she has had to fill in for the priority tasks associated with Harold's job too. Beverley worked 60 hours a week before Harold left and with Harold's departure, her weekly hour count has shot up. Not only has this made Beverley's life miserable, it has made it almost impossible for Beverley to systematically search for a replacement for Harold.
The Terrible Alternative
As pointed out in a previous article, when you buy a 649 lottery ticket you do so, not expecting to win, but nonetheless hoping that you do cash in. You can clearly see the goal of $10 million dollars and you know that your ticket has as much chance as anyone else's. Yet, you also know that your odds at 100,000 to one or higher leave you with little chance. Nevertheless you are assured that somebody has to win.
When you apply for an advertised job, you are engaging in a lottery. You can see the prize, you want it, you know that someone has to win it, and you know that you are as good a candidate for the position as anyone else.
The first problem is that the public job search is like a lottery. Remember the 95% of job-seekers looking at 30% of the jobs? There may be dozens of applicants for this job. So aside from any other consideration if you are among a dozen applicants your chances are 1 in 12. That is a terrible ratio. You would walk away from a poker game if you were confronted with such odds.
Finally, after countless applications, many without any response whatsoever, and the sense of futility, the job-seeker begins to realize the awful truth - if they are fortunate - that they are not going about the job hunt the right way. The less fortunate ones either develop a negative fatalistic attitude (There is no job in the cards for me now) or worse, a negative self-esteem (What's wrong with me?)
Of course there is nothing wrong with you; you still have great skills to offer the market - just as you had in your previous job. And, forget the fatalistic approach: there is a great job waiting for you - in fact, there probably are two or three terrific jobs.
What Happens in the Unseen?
Once you engage in pursing the Unseen job market within your skill set, you will reach a point where, thanks to a good friend or a connection, you arrive on Beverley's doorstep. She has a job that needs to be filled. Based on the assumption that you are qualified for the opening (otherwise you wouldn't be considered for the job and you wouldn't want the job, anyway) Beverley, upon seeing that you are qualified, views you as a gift from heaven. She's in a crisis and you, by accepting the job, could relieve her of her current considerable unpleasantness.
Does Beverley have a list of six candidates to inspect? Not likely. In fact, to date you are the first qualified person to come in her door. Is she going to wait for a few more qualified people to show up? No! She's desperate for relief. If you fit, you will get the job.
Finding the Job
The point of this article is to tell you that you should spend your greater efforts looking in the 'unseen' job market rather than the reverse - the publicly advertised job market where most people search. How do you connect to an unseen target? This is where career coaches expertise fits in. They help individuals take the steps in the right direction and they factor in mathematically developed means for you to connect this way based on science and proven results. But it doesn't matter whether you understand why it works or not but it only matters that it actually does work for you.
Hint: you need to develop a program of contacting people who will ultimately lead you to an opportunity.
Summary
First, the focus on the right job market - the unseen one - not only increases your odds by 100 to one, but also such pursuits often results in your being the only applicant for the job.
Second, the unseen job market avoids all the difficulties of rejection in the public job market, because employers while they're in a hurry, they are in a hurry to fill the job, not to reject people.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/5859987