What you can’t see is often what you want to see.
Looking for the next role in your career can be challenging. Not only do you need to determine what that next role might look like, you also need know when that role hits the market.
There are many ways that new opportunities enter market and quite often, the jobs you can’t see are the ones you want to be able see.
Of course, there are the traditional domains that job seekers actively subscribe to, such as LinkedIn and Seek but these platforms only cater for a snapshot of what’s actually available in market.
More and more the directive of advanced strategic and proactive specialist conversations is driving processes, where opportunities are taken directly to a select group or network who are defined by a skillset, a range of credentials or sectoral experience.
As a guide, across Ampersand International we would only advertise on average between 10-20% of new opportunities on traditional job boards that we’re engaged to manage. That means, for the majority of assignments we’re managing, we’re looking directly in our network and actively approaching those who sit beyond who hold the skills and experience that directly align to our client’s brief.
So, what does this mean for you? It means that in most cases, we and other specialist recruitment firms, are talking directly with practitioners about roles you can’t see.
Accordingly, my advice for those who want to be found or considered for the roles you can’t see:
- Align yourself to a specialist recruitment firm that understands your craft, understands you and has client relationships within the sectors and domains that appeal to you. A firm who will represent you in the correct manner but most importantly protect your personal and professional brand that you’ve worked so hard to create.
- Present your credentials with a detailed profile on LinkedIn and utilise the SEEK Profile tool that allows you to be found by your skills and career ambition. This will allow you to be seen and discovered, whether it be by an executive recruiter or by an organisation directly.
- Utilise your professional and personal networks. This is very important, and the power of referrals remains as strong as ever. Often we see employers tend to their direct network for referrals before formal processes are run, so it’s imperative where sensitivity allows, to regularly engage with and leverage your networks.