The Myth Of "80% Of Jobs Not Advertised" Debunked - And Origin Discovered - The Modern Application Of The Idea *The Hidden Job Market

As I suspected, this current oft-quoted myth - usually by resume writers and career coaches trying to drum up business - originated in the 20th Century. In 1980, to be exact, apparently based on a research paper from 1974 by a Harvard sociologist, Mark Granovetter studying "weak ties" (SCREEN SHOT above) . It was a quote in the New York Times by the author of the famous "What Color Is Your Parachute" books - Richard Nelson Bolles.

In 2022 LinkedIn and other sociology studies revived the original theory of "weak ties" as being beneficial for your job search. Here is a fairly comprehensive overview. Note, however, that it does NOT confirm any theory of a "hidden job market" wherein actual roles are unseen in this day and age.

Sources:

Al Roessert

Flexjobs

So, what is the truth, why do these 20th-century factoids keep being trotted out by career professionals, and how are they applicable in the 21st century?

The truth is, in the 1970's, 1980's, and even the early 1990's - employers paid money to publications - newspapers and magazines, occasionally circulars like collegiate alumni (paper) newsletters, and even faxing services - to PRINT THEIR JOB ADS. I remember my Mom - who was a nurse recruiter for a hospital in the 1980's and 1990's - talking about doing this when I was young. Printing job ads was expensive, so most employers didn't pay to have more than a small fraction (oh, about 20%) of their jobs printed.

THE INTERNET CHANGED ALL THAT. (I will refer you to my articles on resume length, the history of resumes in the 1980's, and how Monster.com revolutionized the job search and recruiting industry.)

When it became cheap and easy to develop a corporate website, and to use a pre-configured database (the dreaded ATS), employers migrated online and started publishing their open jobs on their own webpages. The federal government finally caught up with the trend in the mid-aughts and started imposing some federal regulations (in the US) as part of the EEOC. As a recruiter, when I am talking about "advertised jobs", I still think of PAID job boards or other digital avenues - like LINKEDIN - and we still use alumni boards/newsletters for schools and even some employers like global consulting companies. But for most employers, with the exception of small businesses (like the store on Main Street that only has five employees), almost every employer lists its jobs on its own website. And for companies that do business with the US government - it is required by LAW.

So, the "hidden job market" is pretty much a myth. However, the advice and process advocated by these tired old truisms STILL holds true. The bottom line is that after you apply for a job, your best bet is still NETWORKING, and you don't need to pay money to someone to teach you how to do that (unless you really want to - your money, your choice)!

I have several articles on networking. I am not going to rehash the same territory again, but here they are in one place.

Networking In The Time Of Covid

For college students/graduates (this article includes tips for OPT graduates)

Networking Basics

Networking etiquette

How employee and business referrals actually *work*

Informational Interviews

Here is a fact that most recruiters share that career coaches don't want you to know: I (and most corporate recruiters) have hired a significant number of direct applicants from my ATS to jobs without ever being contacted by anyone, usually 40% - 60% on average for me personally.

BUT: I also spend a significant amount of time disseminating information online across social media, my own network, and yes - some job boards - about my employer and the fact that we ARE HIRING. It is called recruitment branding and is a critical part of corporate recruitment.

And the question shouted by the masses is: "how do I get a job by applying to your openings?" The answer is simple: APPLY TO JOBS YOU ARE QUALIFIED FOR.

"Qualified" means you meet the minimum stated requirements. For companies that are OFCCP compliant - that means you MUST MEET THEM 100% -it is legally mandated. For smaller companies, there may be some flexibility, but rarely will it be the equivalent of a moonshot from your back yard (SpaceX and Blue Origin don't COUNT.) If you are a new graduate and have one or two internships, applying for a job requiring 5 years of industry experience is nothing but a guaranteed rejection (I have had this happen multiple times in the last year alone). If you are looking to make a complete career change, you can try two options generally. EITHER a new job title in your same industry, OR a new industry with an equivalent job title. (A career change is generally the perfect time to consider a career coach.)

There are a VERY FEW types of positions that do not get posted - and they are less than 10% of the totality of ALL jobs.

1. Jobs that are open to internal candidates only - usually these are promotional or career moves for either a specific person or an HR program to encourage people to grow their careers. Of course they are "hidden" - because they are SPECIFICALLY for internal employees only. The job seeker on the street isn't eligible for consideration for the role (but I bet the position they are LEAVING is open to you.)
2. A confidential search - usually for someone that is being terminated and the role needs to have someone ready to fill it immediately. Usually either an internal sourcer/recruiter or external agency will be working on finding that external candidate. *Hint: this is why keeping an UPDATED and information-rich LinkedIn profile is key.
3. Executive level search (usually C-suite).

I'm inviting my recruiting peers/colleagues to weigh in. Any additional suggestions?