Why The Hidden Job Market Might Be The Key To Your Next Tech Job

Forbes

a day ago

Dr. Kyle Elliott, tech career coach, interview coach, and trusted confidant to Silicon Valley's top talent via CaffeinatedKyle.com.
Following mass layoffs in the tech industry, there's more competition for fewer open roles today. This means recruiters must often sort through hundreds, or even thousands, of job applications to fill a single requisition. One way to slim the pile? Turn to candidates they already know. This is where the hidden job market comes in.
The hidden job market refers to roles that are never formally advertised online. Instead, they're often secured through networking or referrals. As a career coach who specializes in tech, I'll add that it's a common industry practice to "hide" roles by making them available only to internal candidates. While stats vary on how many roles are never posted publicly, I've seen firsthand how learning to navigate backdoor channels can dramatically improve job search outcomes.
Let's look at two recent, real-life client examples that show how tapping into the hidden job market can help you land your next tech role faster.
First, an executive client at an EdTech startup was looking to fill an operations leadership role. Before posting the position online, he reached out to his network for referrals, and, based on the number and quality of responses, he never ended up posting it at all. Next, a senior finance leader client was looking for a role at a Fortune 100 tech company. One of her former managers happened to be hiring for a position that perfectly aligned with her background. While the role was technically posted online, and she completed the full interview process, the hiring manager had already mentally slotted her into the job before interviews even began.
So, how exactly do you tap into this hidden job market? Here are three of my top strategies:
1. Stay in touch with your network.
Don't wait until you need your network before you reach out. Keeping in regular contact with former managers, colleagues, clients and vendors helps you stay top of mind when new opportunities arise. I often encourage my clients to set aside a weekly or monthly block of time for networking. This doesn't have to be complicated. Just make a simple list of key people you want to stay connected with and check in with a few during each block.
2. Build relationships with executive headhunters and recruiters.
Executive headhunters (who often represent multiple companies) and internal recruiters (who work inside your target companies) should be on your networking radar. As you move up the career ladder, you'll find that more roles are confidentially sourced and never publicly posted, making relationships with hiring professionals critical.
If you're not actively job hunting, you can check in every six months to share a brief update on your recent wins. Then, once you're on the market, you can send a targeted message outlining your goals and timeline.
3. Join professional communities.
If you're looking to expand your network, you should join communities that align with your identity or industry. Many roles are shared in these spaces long before they hit job boards, if they ever do at all. If you identify as LGBTQ+, for example, look for communities of LGBTQ+ professionals. If you're a product leader, seek out Slack or Discord groups for people in your field. One silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic is the explosion of online communities, which has made networking easier than ever.
Conclusion
Learning to navigate the hidden job market isn't a silver bullet for landing your next tech role, but it can help you stay top of mind when opportunities become available. Consider integrating one (or all) of these strategies into your job search. You've got this!
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