52
ab careers networkinG
Uncovering the
hidden job market
Sinéad English on how networking effectively can lead to
significantly improved chances of securing a job
In times of recession the proportion
of jobs secured through the hidden
job market increases significantly.
Some put the estimate of jobs found
by networking in the hidden job market
as high as 60-70%. The hidden job
market refers to all opportunities
not advertised publicly through jobs
websites, recruitment agencies,
national and local newspapers, and
company websites.
Employers are becoming reluctant
to spend time and money advertising
positions that will inevitably lead to a
deluge of CVs – many of which are not
suitable for the position but adopt the
‘if it’s there, I’ll apply for it’ scattergun
approach to job searching.
Recruitment agencies are reporting
decreases of between 60-65% in
the amount of roles for qualified
accountants they are being asked to fill.
‘The market is currently flooded with
top-class accountants from practises
that are downsizing,’ commented Ken
Harbourne, Ireland country manager at
specialist accountancy recruitment firm
Robert Half International. ‘Practices
are calling their clients trying to find
positions for their ex-employees.’
Similarly, companies that have
vacancies are utilising their existing
employees and contacts for smart and
focused referrals to truncate the hiring
process. ‘Networking is fundamental to
your job search,’ comments Harbourne,
‘accountants are getting jobs, but
the competition is ferocious and it
is taking much longer.’ He cautions
against adopting a haphazard oneway street approach to networking.
‘When networking to find a job too
many people think transactionally
rather than building long-term business
relationships that may be of use to them
in the future. They call someone once
for a favour and then never call them
again. Listen to people when they are
telling you about what they do.’ Given
the shift in how companies are hiring,
it is vital that your networking skills are
sharpened and ready to be used.
What networking is …and is not
Networking is spreading the word about
your skills, experience, qualifications
and career aims. If you can’t articulate
what you want from your career, how
are others (who may know someone
who is recruiting) expected to be
inspired? It’s about making connections
between people you know and the
people they know. It’s about gathering
information about potential employers
and industries by asking contacts some
targeted questions – an informal process
given the formal title of informational
interviewing.
Networking is never about cold calling
your way through a list of companies
and asking them for a job, or asking
someone you know to get you a job.
Networking should be mutually
beneficial – you will form part of
someone’s network for what you can do
for them just as they will form part of
yours. It is about building relationships
with contacts that will last throughout
your job search and beyond.
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Steps to effective networking
Step 1: Write your list
Write a list of potential networking
contacts you can approach.
Where to look:
Work colleagues;
School and third-level alumni;
Ex-customers, clients, suppliers;
ACCA fellow members;
Fellow participants on any CPD
courses or events you have attended;
Friends, relations and neighbours;
Members of any sports clubs you
frequent;
Fellow volunteers in any voluntary
organisations;
Local Chamber of Commerce
members’ list;
Fellow members of local ACCA
networking groups;
Members of other aligned
professional organisations; and,
www.linkedin.com – a networking site
for business professionals.
*
*
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*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Increase the amount of potential
networking events you attend. If you
are not meeting people and telling
them what you are good at and what
type of job you are looking for, you
are precluding yourself from joining
the large amount of people who get
a job through networking. ACCA runs
over 130 continuous professional
development (CPD) events every year.
The CPD programme includes a variety
of one-day courses, lectures, business
breakfasts and social events throughout
Ireland. This is a natural place for you to
start networking.
Contact
Action
Contact log
John Jones, financial
controller at BrandsMarket
University alumnus, (friend
of squash partner Jim),
met at ACCA Practitioners’
Network Conference
Read in The Irish Times
that BrandsMarket are
establishing distribution
hub. Call John and ascertain
who is right person at
company to approach
22.09 – spoke to John – said
to contact Liam Malone,
head of logistics (permission
to use John’s name)
Ann Andrews, (ex-colleague
at ABC Ltd) – on volunteer
mentoring panel for Wicklow
Enterprise Board
Arrange to meet to discuss
what trends she has seen in
regional start-ups in last 12
months
22.09 – Left voicemail
24.09 – Meeting on 30.09
Step 2: Have a contact plan
Once you have drawn up your list of
potential contacts, think initially of how
each contact may be able help you. Your
ability to help them will come to light
once you start talking to them. Draw
up a contact plan with action items.
Most people are willing to help someone
who is proactively looking to uncover
employment opportunities… but what
are you asking them? In what way can
the profile of the contacts help you? A
rambling phone call with no purpose
is a wasted opportunity. An email
asking that they keep their ears open
for opportunities for you will be soon
forgotten. You probably won’t achieve
anything and they will wonder why you
called.
The list of contacts should be edited
with a specific action against each
person’s name. If you can’t think of an
action for someone on your list apart
from ‘call them for a chat’ or ‘drop them
an email to say “hi”’, then put them
onto a secondary list and concentrate
for now on your actionable items – your
A list.
The table above illustrates how you
could plan your approach to those in
your contacts list.
Don’t be disillusioned if someone
doesn’t call you back or reply to your
emails. Don’t take it personally and just
keep going.
Networking requires perseverance,
diligence and energy, and that is often
why many don’t follow through and give
up at an early stage.
Step 3 - What are you offering?
Once you know who to contact, it is
important to prepare a 90-second
response to the ‘tell me about
yourself’ question – your own personal
sales pitch. It should include your
career background, your skills and
competencies and your career aim.
Leave all your potential networking
contacts with a very clear view of who
you are, what type of role you are
seeking and why you would be good at
it. Now is the time to tell people how
good you are at what you do. It takes
practise to get it sounding right, but
when it does it will be your trump card
for uncovering opportunities in the
hidden job market.
Sinéad English is managing director
of Sinéad English & Associates. Email
[email protected]