Access the hidden job market
Some jobs are filled without being advertised through word-of-mouth or referrals. This is commonly referred to as the 'hidden job market.' Learn how you can leverage your connections to access this job market.
Networking
In the context of job hunting, networking simply means speaking to other people and building relationships. Through these conversations and relationships, you'll hear about opportunities before they get advertised or find out important information that might help your job search.
Researching
You do not need a contact or a job advertisement to introduce yourself to an organisation, instead, you could do some research to identify possible targets and 'cold call' them.
Informational interviews
A good way to find out about what it is like to work in a particular field is to interview someone working in a role you aspire to work in.
An information interview is a short meeting (maximum 15 minutes) with a person in a job, industry or organisation you are interested in. Here you can ask questions and gather helpful information, advice and more contacts by asking about the career knowledge of the other person. The purpose of the interview is to seek information, not ask for a job.
Approaching employers
Whether you make contact by email or phone, make an initial call to find out who would be the best person to speak to. Before contacting the appropriate person, carefully consider what you want to say and how you want to say it.