Estimates vary, but with between 30% and 50% of UK jobs never widely advertised, you could be overlooking the power of your network when searching for a new job.
I talk a lot about the hidden jobs market – roles that don’t make it out into the public domain – but there are also roles that area advertised, but that might not hit your radar when you’re searching.
Like the one my niece has just secured as her first graduate job. It was sent to me by a friend who knows I do some work with graduates to flag amazing and interesting jobs.
My friend didn’t know my niece was looking for a graduate job. Given the role is based in Leeds and my niece lived in Coventry and studied in Cardiff, it’s unlikely she would have seen or heard about the role without the power of a network. Anyway, the good news is after a competitive process she received an offer and is now excited to be moving up to Yorkshire to start her career. A big thank you to Louise for spreading the word.
Getting a job through the power of people you know
Talking about wanting a new role can be a tricky fear to overcome. What if someone you work with finds out? How do you approach that conversation without seeming desperate? But there are plenty of ways to make the most of your network without getting busted.
First, think as broadly as possible about who is in your network. Former colleagues and peers at other organisations are an obvious starting point, but I’ve also had clients get jobs because of conversations at the school gate and with neighbours.
My best friend’s son got some summers work experience during university after the disappointment of not being able to find an industrial placement. I was chatting to a neighbour about him (I had no idea what the neighbour did for work!) and he was able to talk to his company and secure valuable work experience that has now helped the graduate secure his first role after uni.
https://megburtoncoach.co.uk/using-your-network-to-find-a-graduate-job/Another client posted on Facebook to share the news about being made redundant, specifically listing the kinds of roles she was looking for. A friend said their employer was hiring, took her CV in, and she got the job.
In my experience, the more senior you become, the less likely it is that roles will be widely advertised. Professional headhunting firms will be used, but senior people within the recruiting employer will also be using their network to root out potential candidates. Many of my senior clients have got a new role by having a round of catch up and cuppas with their network to quietly explore what opportunities were around.
The personal referral advantage
Research from LiveCareer suggests that if you are referred for a role, rather than coming through the standard recruitment process, you are around five times more likely to secure a job (30% hiring rate versus 7%).
So talking to your network might not only uncover jobs you wouldn’t have seen, but it could put you in pole position to secure a role.
It might work out for the person you know too. Plenty of organisations offer employees a bonus for referring a successful hire, largely as it saves recruiter fees so it’s a win-win situation.
My message here is simply don’t keep your job hunt a secret – share with people who may be able to help you. Be brave to approach people and ask for their help, be courageous and ask others to introduce you to people who may be able to help you get a foot in the door.
How to create your own job opportunities
My advice here isn’t rocket science, but it is important that you take action.
Firstly, get ready. Before you start to build your network and connect you need to have something to drive them to or show them. Often, this can be your LinkedIn profile or your CV, so make sure these are up to date and ready to go.
Review your LinkedIn profile to make sure it’s up to date with accurate and current information, an up-to-date photo so that if people ask you to connect it is marketing you in the best way possible.
Make sure you have some content on there and that you’ve added some detail about your successes. Get brave and start asking for recommendations and endorsements. The most natural time to do this is when you work with someone on a project and it’s come to an end, or when you have collaborated with others on a particular task. Doing it as you go like this is better than asking lots of people all at once at review time or because you’re on the lookout for a new role. This should be part of the regular maintenance you do on your LinkedIn profile.
Now start having those conversations. You could draw or note down your trusted inner circle, then another layer out are people you know but may not know well enough to have an initial chat with. Outside of those circles are those people’s connections – it’s like casting a stone into a lake and watching the ripple effect.
Ideally you will have nurtured your network throughout your career, but it’s never too late to start. Be clear about your pitch – what is your expertise, what are you looking for and what kind of organisation would you like to work in? Think of it as giving information and asking for advice, not asking for a favour. You’re trying to equip people with the detail they need to talk about you in rooms you’re not in and to help them think of the right people in their circles to help. That’s how opportunities can make themselves known.
Pay it forward
We all have the opportunity to help others. Kindness is what makes the world go round. Whether that’s clicking a few buttons on LinkedIn to endorse someone, making an introduction to a friend, or just being someone to listen over a cuppa, I’m a big believer in what goes around, comes around.
What can you do to influence your organisation to help people in their careers? That could be holding open days to help people understand the roles at your organisation, inviting people in to shadow employees, offering work experience opportunities for people in their early careers or encouraging employees to be advocates of the company, promoting the roles available. We can all help get the connections buzzing.
I remember one person on LinkedIn recalling his own experiences of job hunting and the challenges he faced. Once he secured his next role he vowed that whenever he was hiring in the future, he would ensure he made time to give candidates robust and helpful feedback. This kindness borne out of his own experiences.
And if you become known as someone who is generous with their time and contacts, the chances are, people will be more disposed to help you out if you ever need it and none of us know when that might be.
If you think you’re overlooking the power of your network while looking for a job, get in touch to book a free introductory chat to see how I could help.
