What is the HIDDEN JOB MARKET?

What is the HIDDEN JOB MARKET?

The hidden job market is so many things, but most importantly it’s the biggest career opportunity missed by many job searchers. 

When venturing back into the job market, it's easy to fall into our natural default of doing what we only know. Trapped within our own paradigms, not exploring beyond our own thinking and not setting as many career hares running as we might like. Which invariably means settling for the job we can get rather than the career move we really want.

Totally missing a trick.

Now think of an iceberg.

An iceberg is a piece of ice that has broken off a glacier and is floating freely in the water. They come in all shapes and sizes.  Icebergs can pose a real danger to passing ships. They can get trapped in currents and pull in certain directions. They can be as small as a car or large enough to be visible from space. They have been described as taxi’s of the ocean, as animals and organisms hitch rides on them, all swimming in the same sea and competing for their space on the iceberg.

This is the noticeable area of the iceberg. The area everyone and his dog (or seal!) is noticing. The part of the iceberg that everyone is scrambling to get to. Safe ground for its passengers.

The interesting thing about icebergs is that most of their size is hidden underwater. Only a small part of the iceberg is visible. The part you can’t see is about 7 times larger than the part you can see.

Now think about your job search.

The noticeable, findable and ‘known about’ elements of your job search. These are the visible job adverts that you may be spotting quite easily or digging around and working hard to find. If you are finding it, then everyone, who is looking, is finding it too.

But not all jobs are advertised. Not all career opportunities are in the public domain. Some career moves haven't even been considered until you meet and the concept is developed. This is where you create career opportunity.

Wouldn’t you rather tap into the underbelly of your job search iceberg?  Where no one goes but where the greatest career opportunity can present itself?

Your time is valuable. Your career is precious.

I’m not sure if it presents 7 times the opportunity but it’s certainly where I would go fishing.