Not all jobs are advertised, and
it is surprising how often graduates find 'hidden' jobs through
more creative techniques such as networking and speculative
applications.
Prepare yourself to explore the hidden job market, by:
- Selecting the occupation(s) sectors you are interested
in.
- Identifying potential employers you would like to target.
- Drafting your CV to use for contacting prospective
employers.
Networking
This is the use of
contacts to gather information about a chosen career path and
available job opportunities. Consider contacts from all sources in
your personal network who may have information in your chosen
career path including:
Even if these people can't help,
they may be able to put you in contact with someone who can.
Results
Your networking research could produce any of the following:
- Contacts that lead to an informational interview.
- Contacts that then lead to work shadowing, temporary or
permanent employment.
- The realisation that an associated career is more appropriate
for you.
- A decision that this is not the right type of work for
you.
- The realisation that you may be more likely to earn a living by
working freelance or being self-employed.
For more information on
creative job searching see part two of the
How to Market
Yourself guide
Literature
Updated: 9/26/2011 By:
Christine Louder