Finding Hidden Jobs – And Avoiding Competition

As the economy slows and more companies adopt AI, there will be fewer job openings and more people competing for them. To stand out, focus on finding hidden jobs by targeting your search. Plan your strategy to find companies that need your skills and are ready to hire, but have not posted positions of interest to you. 

Traditional job search

You have to understand the hiring process end to end to get an idea of how to beat the system. There are two types of openings. One is a new position that companies feel they need based on the forecasted demand, or they want to add some new roles to expand their activities. The other is when an employee leaves the organization or moves to a different position, thereby opening the existing position for new hires.  

In most cases, the HR manager gets a job requisition from the hiring manager. The hiring manager provides the position title and required experience level, and the HR manager drafts the position description after consultation with the hiring manager. Then the HR Manager posts the open jobs on job sites or shares positions with their recruitment team or hiring partners to source qualified resumes. Almost all candidates look for job postings on various job sites and apply for suitable positions. This approach is beneficial for employers, as they can get many resumes to review and shortlist the top few candidates based on their resumes. The initial shortlisting of resumes serves as an elimination process, rejecting most candidates. The traditional job search is driven by the hiring manager and is not favorable to candidates, as they remain unaware of the status of their resume in the selection process.

In many companies, the HR manager uses her experience to draft a detailed job description that often changes during the hiring process. You might have prepared for an interview based on the recruiter’s description, only to find the hiring manager expected something different. This gap happens because job needs can shift, and it is hard to find candidates with the exact skills. Sometimes, good candidates are rejected because the requirements were not clearly described. 

Many people now talk about finding hidden jobs through professional or personal networks. Networking can help with junior or mid-level roles, but it is less effective for senior positions. At higher levels, there are fewer openings. Even if your friends want to help, they might not know about the right opportunities within their organization. Their organization may not be hiring due to budgetary or business considerations. 

Non-traditional job search for mid-senior level jobs 

There is another way to find hidden jobs that do not rely on job postings or your network. This non-traditional approach means reaching out directly to the source of opportunities. This article will walk you through the steps, from researching companies to setting up interviews. We will cover interview preparations in a separate article. 

Research to find target companies.

Start by using LinkedIn to research companies that fit what you are looking for. Make a shortlist based on their financial health and recent growth. You can check the number of employees in your role or target roles, and recent hires in similar functions at the organization, to get an idea of whether they are your target or not.  

Here is an example: You are a Project Manager, and your target company is hiring technical recruiters. That means the company is planning to expand its operations by using a new team of technical recruiters to hire technical team members. The new addition to the technical team indicates that the company is expanding the technical activities/ projects and may need project managers to manage the team and the project.  

Direct Approach for Job Openings

After you have your list, connect with decision-makers, such as CXOs or Vice Presidents, at those companies. When you send connection requests, be clear about why you want to connect. Create a couple of connection request messages and use them to see which ones get better responses. 

Once you have the contact details of decision-makers at your target companies, send a short, direct email to the division head or CXO. Use their work email and include your LinkedIn or social profile under your signature. If they find your background interesting, they may ask you to contact someone on their team or forward your details to HR for an interview. Getting a referral from a senior executive helps you stand out and get noticed quickly. When the executive forwards your email to HR or the hiring manager, they will likely set up a meeting with you. No matter the state of the economy, executives are always looking for ways to stay ahead. If your experience can help them, they will want to talk. This direct approach works best for senior roles, where competition is tough if the job is posted publicly. 

Practical direct approach to companies 

Please take the following steps to get the most attention:

1. Send a short and simple email to the division head of your function. If you are in finance or accounting, send an email to the head of the finance or accounting department. 
2. You can ask for the contact person to let you know if she is the right person to contact for a job in her department, or who is the right contact for the information. 
3. If she responds to your email, then immediately send an email thanking her and forward the thanking email to the contact person, keeping the original sent in the copy/ CC. 
4. The hiring manager or the HR Manager will respond to your email and will ask for the resume and the best time to talk. You have achieved your goal. 

To find hidden jobs, you sometimes need to be creative and persuasive. Most job seekers use traditional recruitment methods, but you can stand out directly to decision-makers and avoid competition.