The Way To Use The Unadvertised Job Market Cheaply And Efficiently

Having provided CV services for many folks, we've found that there are numerous businesses out there that attempt to take money from people and exploit vulnerable folk by selling access to the unadvertised job market. The very first thing to understand is that there actually is no such thing as an unpublicized job market. These firms are really sending your CV out speculatively to companies who may have need of your services and using a database of info to match or target your CV to the requirements that market could have.

Let's use the example of a sales manager who has worked for a food manufacturer selling to the Uk retail sector in the South East of England. When searching for a role, one of the first things this person should do is to be sure their CV is current and works for them. When this has been done, we advise beginning to draw up a list of firms that the sales manager would like to work for. This could include competitor businesses, other manufacturers in the sector and such like. The more firms you can find from which a hit list can be drawn up, the better the chances of your success in the long term will be. Get the name of the Manager, Managing Director or Chief Recruiting Officer, the higher up in the business, the better.

There are many research tools that you can use; for example, your own diary and network of contacts is something that people need to utilise and fairly often fail to make proper use of. It is not in any way a negative thing to be out of work. Most folks will have several career changes across the course of their lives and if asked, the great majority of people will help you along the way. The Net is another tool that if utilised properly can find you massive lists of corporations from which you can draw up a shortlist of those you may wish to target. Social networking web sites like LinkedIn can be useful as they blend the power of your own private network with that of the Net and that may pay great dividends. Also, register the CV with as many job boards as you can and also target recruiters focusing on your target sector as well as more local recruitment agencies. Don't overlook the probabilities within your private network (LinkedIn is a good tool if used properly)

The real wizardry however is the strategy you actually use to aim at and contact these companies. When you have a listing of about 100 target companies, the main thing with the Resume now is to get it out there- target the companies you would like to work for, get the name of the MD and send a private letter to them with your Resume printed out on glorious quality stationery (like Conqueror). Writing a physical letter is the key as so many people ignore mails and everyone does like a letter- more importantly, they get read.

The answer to your unasked query of why write to the CEO or the most senior person that you can unearth is given here like the following. First off they'll be less likely to ignore or reject your letter without doing something first to check if there actually are any vacancies. If managers lower down the scale get a note from their CEO, they are highly unlikely to pay no attention to it. The other reason is that it is often the case that the MD essentially wants to try a change and sack someone or try a project for which you'll have the right skills. The chances are that this will be unadvertised and that's what you are drumming in to.

The unadvertised job market thus really does not exist but you'll find by adopting the strategies I have printed above, you may succeed at the end. It might take you a little time and indeed a degree of effort and maybe some rejection. The primary advantage though is that your CV isn't competing against a great pile of job applications and your diligence and initiative will get rewarded in the final analysis by your being interviewed when others who just e-mail will get refused.

Michael Hughes is a CV writer who owns a successful CV services business based in the United Kingdom

Tags: professional cv, professional cv writers, secret job market, unadvertised job market