Finding Careers for Active Professionals

We deserve to love our careers. When we focus on building our dream career, everything falls into place. Everyday, we hear from people who are searching for their dream career. They spend hours every week applying online and many hear crickets back. It can feel discouraging until you discover what’s called “The Hidden Job Market.” We’ve all heard about it, and it does indeed exist. In fact, 70% of recruiters say that referrals are their number one method for sourcing. And, nearly 37% of jobs are never posted publicly. So how do we tap into that “Hidden Job Market?” Here’s 4 insights to help: ✅ (1) Identify target companies, not just open roles. Research organizations that align with your skills and values. Create a focused list of 10-15 companies. ✅ (2) Map connections at those companies. Use LinkedIn to find 2nd-degree connections. Join industry groups where potential colleagues gather. Each new connection expands your reach. ✅ (3) Schedule informational interviews. Don't ask for interviews - ask for insights about their career path, company culture, and industry trends. Build genuine relationships. ✅ (4) Add unique value before asking for anything. Share relevant articles, make thoughtful introductions, engage meaningfully with their content. When opportunities arise, you'll be top of mind. Dream jobs do exist. If you’re job searching today, be encouraged. It may simply be time to take a new approach. Question - Have you ever tapped into the “Hidden Job Market?” Question 2 - On a scale of 1 to 5, how is your current job search going? — 📌 Want more help? Join the “Escape the Cubicle” Newsletter with weekly tips on how to… …level up your remote career, grow & monetize on LinkedIn, and work from anywhere. Scroll to the top of this post and click “Subscribe to Newsletter” to join 30,000+ subscribers. ☝🏻 I’m giving away my professional resume template to all new subscribers this week. 🙏 Here’s to us growing together, Wes #jobsearchtips #careercoach #businesscoach

#careertip: You are probably missing out on many job opportunities. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as of Jan. 9, 2024, there were 9.5 million job openings in the U.S. In a search I made today, LinkedIn shows 5,078,528 job ads with base in the U.S. and Indeed shows 244,950 full time jobs available in the U.S. If you're focusing your search only on these two social networks for professionals, it's time to broaden your horizon. Here's how to tap into the wider job market effectively: 1. Look into niche job boards specific to your industry, as well as regional or local job boards. Sites like AngelList are great for startup jobs, while Idealist.org is perfect for nonprofit positions. 2. Engage with professional groups on social media, attend industry meetups, conferences, and webinars. Don't underestimate the power of reaching out to contacts for informational conversations – they can offer insights and introduce you to opportunities that aren’t advertised. 3. Identify companies you’re interested in and visit their career pages regularly. Some companies prefer to list openings on their website to attract candidates who are specifically interested in their organization (and because they want to save money!). 4. Many educational institutions have career services for alumni and platforms for networking with fellow graduates. Check them out! 5. Share your job search goals with friends, family, and former colleagues. Often, jobs are found through personal connections. 6. Join professional groups or associations related to your field and participate in online communities. They often have job boards, resources, and networking events that can lead to job opportunities. 7. When browsing LinkedIn, use the "Search" bar more than the "Jobs" tab. The article below explains how I approach job search and how I find most of the #commsjobs I share with you. Check out the article: https://bit.ly/42qGJMR Remember: the more avenues you explore, the better your chances of finding a role that truly fits your skills and aspirations. Also, always prioritize starting your application from a personal connection instead of just sending your resume into the big black hole of ATS systems, hoping for the best. Keep an open mind and stay persistent – your next great opportunity could come from where you least expect it.

Most job seekers are searching the wrong way—typing job titles into search bars and hoping for the best. 🚨 There’s a better way. It’s called *Boolean search* It’s the exact method recruiters use to find top candidates - faster But, YOU can use it to reverse engineer their search or to find *better* jobs—faster. 👇10 Boolean Search Basics (that could save you hours of scrolling) 🎯 Find jobs in a specific industry & city → "sales director" AND ("tech" OR "software") AND "San Francisco" Only shows sales director roles in tech/software companies in SF. 🎯Exclude job types you don’t want → "project manager" AND "Los Angeles" NOT "contract" Filters out contract roles, so you only see full-time positions. 🎯Find remote jobs (and ignore entry-level roles) → ("data analyst" AND "remote") NOT ("internship" OR "junior") Focuses on remote data analyst jobs while avoiding entry-level roles. 🎯Search multiple job titles at once → ("product manager" OR "program manager" OR "project manager") AND "Seattle" Expands your search to three similar job titles in Seattle. 🎯Find recruiters in your field → (recruiter OR "talent acquisition") AND ("finance" OR "investment banking") Connects you with recruiters who specialize in finance & banking. 🎯Locate hiring managers at a specific company → ("hiring manager" OR "team lead") AND "Tesla" AND "engineering" Helps you find decision-makers at Tesla in the engineering department. 🎯Search for companies currently hiring → "We're hiring" AND ("cybersecurity" OR "network security") AND ("remote" OR "hybrid") Finds job posts from companies actively looking for cybersecurity professionals. 🎯 Discover networking events in your industry → ("digital marketing" OR "SEO") AND ("conference" OR "webinar" OR "networking event") NOT "paid" Finds relevant events for digital marketers without paid ads cluttering results. 🎯Find companies growing fast (new jobs soon!) → "hiring surge" OR "expanding team" OR "new office" AND "biotech" Targets biotech companies that are scaling up—new roles are coming. 🎯Boolean search combo → ( ("UX designer" AND "Austin") OR ("Google" AND ("hiring manager" OR "design lead")) OR (recruiter AND "user experience") ) NOT ("junior" OR "assistant") A power search for UX jobs in Austin, hiring managers at Google, and UX recruiters—while skipping junior-level roles. Better searching = better results ______ ♻ Share this with someone who could use the tip 💬 Drop a comment if you’d like to hear more about this and I'll cover it on my YouTube Channel

After a year of job hunting and trying to pivot sectors, from education to human resources, I've faced countless challenges and have grown immensely. With August bringing a surprising uptick in recruiter contacts, I've been reflecting on what's making a difference. While every job search is unique, here are strategies that seem to be working for me: 1️⃣ 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: I've made it a habit to tweak my profile weekly, even in small ways. If I update my resume, I'll add the change to my profile. It could also be an edit to my About section or Headline. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀: I've aligned my job titles with LinkedIn's pre-populated options. This makes it easier for recruiters using specific search terms to find my profile. For dual roles, I use the corporate title in the header and explain the full scope in the description. For example, instead of "School Counselor/Project Manager," I might use "Project Manager" as the title and mention the counseling role in the description. 3️⃣ 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Regular activity on the platform helps. I share relevant content, offer thoughtful comments (15+ words, or so I've heard) on others' posts, and highlight professional development achievements (e.g., if I took a LinkedIn Learning course, what did I learn and gain from it?) 4️⃣ 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: I've expanded beyond LinkedIn, posting my resume on other job boards relevant to my target sector (e.g., Dice, Indeed, etc). Remember to keep those profiles updated in addition to your downloadable resume on LinkedIn (found in the Jobs tab under Preferences). 5️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵: I respond to every recruiter who reaches out, even if the position seems out of left field. Here's why: ▶ It could lead to unexpected connections or opportunities ▶ Responsiveness signals that you're active on LinkedIn ▶ Recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter often target candidates more likely to respond. Your history of engaging with recruiters can increase your chances of future outreach. 6️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: I've attended webinars, engaged in networking events, and committed to ongoing education. This not only expands my knowledge but also my professional network. The key? Implementing what I learn and sharing insights- fostering a cycle of growth and connection. Remember, this is just my personal experience. The job search journey is different for everyone, and what works for one person might not work for another. If there's one overarching lesson, it's the importance of paying it forward. So, if you're looking for something new to try in your job search, I hope these tips help! What strategies have worked for you in your job search? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #Networking #LinkedIn #JobHunt