The Empowered Job Seeker Series v.11 - Broadening Jason's Résumé Marketing Efforts .. and, therefore his opportunities!

As our program coaches delve deeper into the résumé marketing component of our outplacement program, they inevitably come to point where they encourage their job seekers to access the 'Hidden Job Market'.  This is especially important during times of higher unemployment rates because it helps candidates to increase their opportunities in a competitive space via an avenue not utilized by most other candidates. 

However, accessing it takes work.  Staying organized, staying focused and staying the course are important to making this marketing strategy work for our candidates and the support and guidance of our dedicated CMS program coaches through this stage is very important.

At the time Jason came into our outplacement program, the economy was starting to decline, the markets bearish and job opportunities in the fashion retail sector short.  Jason was looking for a Category Management role but found advertised opportunities to be minimal and recruiters empty handed as far as openings they were trying to fill went.

Working the hidden job market was the obvious next step in Jason’s résumé marketing effort because the hidden job market gives us access to job opportunities that have not yet been advertised.  The basic premise behind it is that we are not just looking for a vacancy - but for a manager with a valuable current employee who is about to move on. And that is a completely different thing!

This is why it works.

Many jobs are never actually advertised because of the natural movement in the workforce; changes within organizations like mergers, or life changes for employees such as retirement.  This natural movement ensures that there are always opportunities for skilled and experienced employees because every time someone moves out of their position an opportunity arises for someone else to move into it.

As part of the hidden job market marketing effort for Jason’s program, we developed an extensive list of organizations for him that fell within the retail industry, and according to his company size and geographic specifications. His CMS Program Coach then provided direction in how to use the list to get his résumés into the hands of as many hiring managers as possible in as many companies as possible.  Jason was encouraged to set his bar high and send out 100+ résumés in order to garner the most opportunity.  As it turned out, one was all he needed as his résumé landed on the desk of an employer whose Category Manager was planning to move out of country.