Hidden Jobs

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:

Family and friends
Lecturers, tutors or career advisers
Ex-employers
University of Westminster alumni association

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.

This information can then be used to make targeted speculative applications.

For more information on creative job searching see part two of the How to Market Yourself guide

Resources available in the Careers Information Rooms:

Literature

Updated: 9/26/2011 By: Christine Louder