CAREER PLANNING MINI-GUIDE
The Hidden Jobs Market LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk
www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
CAREER MINI-GUIDE
Networking and connecting using Social Media N
ot all jobs are advertised, in fact organisations are under no legal obligation to advertise their positions externally. This means that when you look at job postings online or in the newspapers you are only seeing a fraction of the job market, or the ‘open job market’ as it is called. What you don’t see are the hundreds of other jobs which are offered and accepted through other means, never advertised to the general public. These positions are often created for the individual or offered to candidates sourced from an employer’s trusted network, this is often referred to as the ‘hidden job market’. Don’t despair though! This does not mean these opportunities are closed to you, just that you may have to be more creative when it comes to job hunting. Networking is the key to opening the door to the hidden job market and it really is easier than you think. Here are a couple of top tips to get you started and noticed by future employers. Get out there! Find out what events are coming up in and around your area where individuals and employers you would like to work for may be in attendance. These may be graduate recruitment fairs, conferences, talks and can even be social events.
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Once you are there, make the most of it! Make sure you have done your research on the organisations you are interested in working for and go prepared to discuss this. Employers are impressed by those individuals who are truly passionate about working for them, so demonstrating this knowledge is an effective way to engage them in conversation. Gaining an email address or further contact details from anyone you speak to who may be of future benefit is essential. Always ensure you followup any helpful conversations you have had with a polite email or phone call thanking them for their time. You can add this person to your contact list which is the first step to building your network. In the future you may want to ask these contacts for an ‘information interview’, this is when you spend a bit of time picking the brains of your contacts, gaining some useful knowledge about an industry or career path. Remember networking events with employers are regularly available at Careers Zones as well as employer-led events and workshops arranged by the Careers Team so keep an eye out on our events pages to keep up to date https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events. Get online! You may be familiar with the likes of Facebook and Twitter and already be regular users of social media but what you might not realise is that it is a networking gold mine! You can use social
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media to follow organisations and even individuals working in the sector you are hoping to go into. Not only can you keep up to date with organisations’ most recent activities but you can chat and interact with individuals who may be able to offer you advice, support and even job opportunities in the future. Get LinkedIn! Using your pre-existing social media to network is great but there is another even more effective site you can utilise, called LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the leading professional network on the web. Your profile acts as a CV and you can connect with individuals and organisations to increase your network and gain an insight into your industry. There are even a number of sector specific groups on the website which you can join where you will meet other professionals and make some great connections. To find out more about joining and utilising LinkedIn check out the instructional videos here; http://learn.linkedin.com/students/step-1/. So start networking today. All you need to do is… ❙❙ Keep your eye out for events you can network at ❙❙ Use social media, especially LinkedIn, to make contacts ❙❙ Make use of your contacts to gain valuable information and insight into your industry ❙❙ Make a good impression and you might just get offered a placement, internship or even a job!
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You have to speculate to accumulate! As well as meeting prospective employers through networking, online or at events, you can also make contact through a speculative application. This means sending a CV along with a covering letter to an employer who may not be currently advertising any job vacancies. If an employer is suitably impressed by your CV and covering letter they may contact you for further discussions. You may not be offered a job instantly but you may be considered for upcoming positions or a position could be created for you. Here are a couple of top tips to make a great first impression through speculative applications; ❙❙ Always make sure your CV and covering letter is specific to a role and the organisation it is being sent to. Research your organisation thoroughly to do this – previous networking can help! ❙❙ Get a named contact. Your application form will make more of an impact, and go to the right person, if you make sure it is addressed to the appropriate person. You can always call up an organisation to ask for a named contact. ❙❙ Follow up your speculative application with a phone call or email. This will demonstrate that you are genuinely interested and enthusiastic about working for them.
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Notes
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Looking for out of hours careers support? Access our suite of online careers tools at any time, from anywhere ...
CAREERS ZONE
24/7
CV builder Interview simulator Job search websites Careers Newsroom Psychometric testing and assessment centre practice portal ❙ GoinGlobal international jobs database ❙ ❙ ❙ ❙ ❙
Access Careers Zone 24/7 from the Careers website:
www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers LJMU CAREERS WORLD OF WORK CAREERSTEAM CENTRE 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk || worldofwork@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 2048/3719
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