The Hidden Jobs Challenge

These days, we have the tools available in LinkedIn to find jobs in a way that is much more fruitful and much more pleasant than the traditional route. But most people still use the traditional job-hunting route.

The problem with the traditional route is that it doesn't allow you to really shine, to truly show your value to those who might employ you. Because you're just following the steps:

1. Apply for job

2. Attend interview

3. Hope for best

...You're not really giving yourself an opportunity to demonstrate your value to potential employers. You write the CV as well as you can, you answer the questions as well as you can, and you just hope that it all works out. This is a really bad method for demonstrating your employability. It's difficult, using this process, to really make someone want to employ you.

The Hidden Jobs Challenge eschews this traditional route by allowing you to take control of the job hunt so that you can demonstrate your professional value to a potential employer. The key word here is 'demonstrate'; the idea is that you show beyond all doubt that you are capable of doing the job, in a way that really makes sense to your potential employer.

So What do we Teach you?

We teach you how to use LinkedIn to find people who would be interested in employing you. We then show you how to set up informal Zoom calls with those people, and talk with them in a way that is interesting to them. To be interesting to other people, you have to identify their problem, and show that you can solve it, just like you have many times before in previous jobs.

For example, let's say you're a salesperson. The problem you solve is that you generate sales as high as they possibly can be. Now, the best way to demonstrate that is to organise a Zoom call with, for example, the head of sales at your target company. If you can identify a problem they might be having, you can talk about how you've solved that problem before, and how your technique may benefit them. You don't need to present yourself as a big expert, just somebody who has dealt with their problem before and has insights that you're happy to share. They can try your strategies out and see if it works for them. It's relaxed, casual and all about them. The beauty of this call is that you're demonstrating you understand their problem and have experience of solving it, all while trying to help them out. It's like a mini interview in disguise.

If that all sounds scary, don't worry! The Hidden Jobs Challenge takes you through some simple steps to get to the point where you can comfortably offer to have a quick chat on Zoom to see if you can compare notes, discuss what's worked for you in the past, and let them go away and think about trying your ideas. Simple, relaxed and no nerves involved! But again, we'll take you to this point step by step, by holding a series of tasks that make the Zoom call offer a natural next move.

So how Does the Hidden Jobs Challenge Work?

We set up a private group on Linkedin; you can find the link at the bottom of this article. Then, within that group, we set a simple task each day so that you can truly understand your professional value and learn how to use it to market yourself effectively. The key ingredient here is that you're looking for problems you can help out with by sharing a few insights; you're not 'looking for a job'. This is actually what effective networking is all about: making it about them, not you.

The Challenge consists of:

? 1 task each day, for 2 weeks, with a total of 10 tasks.

? Each task is announced in the Linkedin group in a video, every day at 11am UK time. You can watch the task video at any time, however, so don't worry if you're not available at 11am.

? You complete the task before 11am the next day.

? Each live broadcast lasts less than 15 minutes.

? Each task takes around 30 minutes to complete.

? There is a live Q&A session each day at 5pm, in which I answer any questions posted in the group that day.

? We include a PDF guide to help you understand each task.

? The Challenge is entirely free.

? The Challenge starts on the 26th of April, with the tasks starting on the 3rd of May.

Does it Work?

The Hidden Jobs Challenge works amazingly well. The secret is in its simplicity. It's so easy to do and works because it combines tried-and-tested networking techniques with the power of LinkedIn. 

So many previous challengers have gone on to get interviews by following the challenge. I don't have exact numbers but my estimate is that the success rate is over 90% for everyone who completes each task. It just works.

But don't take my word for it! Here's what just a few other people have said:

So, those are the basics of the Hidden Jobs Challenge. Do you have any questions? would you like to have a call to discuss the Challenge further? Just let me know and we'll set that up!

Here's the link to the group:

https://www.dhirubhai.net/groups/9049542/

Matt Shewbridge

CEO Shewbridge Coaching