8 Ways To Get A Job Before It’s Posted

Image courtesy of alphaspirit

No more resumes. No more cover letters. No more practice interviews. No more sending in applications and not-so-patiently waiting.

Melanie just got a job offer call from Cloud45, a communications company she’s had her eye on for several months. Though the company never posted the available position, as soon as they saw a need, Melanie was the first candidate in mind for the job.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more hires than posted job openings in both May and June this year. That means, job seekers like Melanie are becoming crafty in finding job opportunities in the hidden market.

Take a look at Melanie’s secrets to learn ways you can get a job offer before the position is open.

1. Talk to Everyone

As an average extrovert, Melanie began making more of an effort to meet people wherever she went. She would engage in small talk, and as soon as the conversation hit the “what do you do” point, she would say she was looking for a job and express fields of interest. Sometimes the other person would mention a friend who works in that industry or connections they might have.

That’s how she met Bob, an IT professional who worked at Cloud45. Bob happened to be the uncle of a contact Melanie met while attending her friend’s company luncheon as a guest. Her new contact put her in touch with Bob so she could learn about what he does at Cloud45. She sent him an email and connected on LinkedIn.

2. Choose Your Target Companies

It’s not what you do, but who you do it for that can make all the difference in a having a career that makes you happy. Instead of jobs, Melanie began researching companies regardless of whether they had job openings at the time. All companies will need to hire at some point in the future, and sometimes waiting to work for a place you really gel with is worth it.

Melanie created a company wish list. She chose a few favorite companies she would like to work for in the future based on company culture, vision, and potential job fit for current non-vacant positions. Cloud45 was one of them, but she also followed and liked 10 more companies from her wish list on all social media sites.

3. Network Online

Knowing that 76 percent of social job seekers found their current job through Facebook, Melanie started putting her social networks to work. She cleaned up all of her social media sites to ensure nothing incriminating would deter potential employers scoping her out. She requested to connect with second and third degree connections on LinkedIn. She messaged both employees and employers on her company wish list asking about what they do and why they like working where they do.

4. Schedule Meet-And-Greets

When Melanie became more familiar with a connection online, she would ask if they could meet for coffee to talk about what it’s like to work where they do. She learned plenty of things she never knew about working in the communications field, and how different working for each company can be. Not only that, but she established great professional relationships so that if a spot opened up at one of the companies, she would have someone to let her know first thing.

After a few emails, Bob from Cloud45 invited Melanie to visit the office to see what the company does firsthand. This was not an interview, but a meet-and-greet giving Melanie the opportunity to meet everyone in the office. There, Melanie connected with Beth, the director of communications.

5. Maintain Long-Term Relationships

The best relationships are built over time, and realizing that, Melanie followed up regularly with all the contacts she met. She followed company news, which gave her plenty of topics to discuss with them beyond her job search. In particular, she kept in touch with Beth, asking how things were going at Cloud45 and expressing interest in their latest projects.

6. Build Your Personal Brand

Do you know what you stand for? Do others know what you stand for? Melanie realized her professional interests and skills weren’t clear to others. She fixed that right away by assessing her strengths and what she enjoyed most in previous positions.

Her strengths grouped into three major categories — problem solving, research, and interpersonal communication. Her skills — business writing, marketing, and technical troubleshooting — became the headline on every one of her online profiles to create a consistent message.

She chose a theme to keep consistent across all platforms, including the personal business cards she ordered that promoted her as an available professional in the industry.

7. Update Your Portfolio

Melanie uploaded samples of her work onto an online portfolio she shared on each of her social networking platforms. If a position became available at one of her contact’s companies, they could recommend her and have easy access to samples of her work. Having visual, tangible proof of your work to show others gives you a significant advantage in the industry.

8. Publish Your Work Online

As Melanie researched industry news, she became increasingly interested in specific topics and began contributing to conversations on Twitter and commenting on articles. She even started conducting her own research and writing about industry-related topics she noticed weren’t yet covered.

At first, she published articles on her blog, but then she began using the LinkedIn publishing platform. She shared links to her published posts on Google+, Facebook, and her profiles on other job search sites. Her contacts began complimenting her work in comments and messages, and she was well on her way to becoming a thought leader.

It wasn’t long after when Beth called her, expressing a need for someone with her ideas at Cloud45. A position in the communications department was opening in two weeks, and because Beth knew Melanie, she didn’t need to look any further to fill the role.

What are some other ways you can remain competitive in your industry and get a job offer before the company posts the job opening?