IT DRILLDOWN
 
NEWSLETTERS
 

CIO.com updates, insights and advice on technology, management and your career.

 
 
 
LEADERSHIP
 
CIO Executive Programs
The Leader in Face-to-Face Education for Senior Executives

Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »

 
CIO Executive Council
A Peer-Advisory Service and Professional Association for CIOs

Portfolio Management Maturity Model at Chevron - Presentation & Discussion

November 13, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM ET (GMT-4)

Janinne Franke, manager of strategy, planning & optimization at Chevron's corporate department & services, will share processes and lessons learned from developing and implementing the model.

Social Responsibility's Strategic Benefits

December 15, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)

Join Ed Granger-Happ, CIO of Save the Children, for a discussion of how creating an organization that is socially responsible improves staffing, retention, leadership development and overall corporate health.

More / Register »

Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »



 
 
RESOURCE CENTER
 
 
 
SUBSCRIBE TO CIO
 
Are you involved in setting the direction for your company's IT budget or strategy?

Apply today for a FREE subscription to CIO Magazine!

 
 

Searching the Hidden Job Market for Opportunities

If you want to gain access to job opportunities that aren't publicly advertised, you need to develop contacts at your target companies.

 

April 01, 2008CIO — Whether you are entering the job market by choice or whether you have been forced to look for work, be prepared for an intense, volatile journey this year. If you think that a few confidential calls to eager headhunters and several smartly placed online résumés will overbook your calendar with job interviews, you're going to be disappointed. Employers are extremely cautious and selective, and recruiting proceeds at an unusually slow pace.

Job hunting has literally become a contact sport. That is, you need contacts—lots of them—to expedite the process of landing your next job. In particular, you need connections inside the companies you're targeting. Why? Because employee referrals are becoming a proportionately bigger source of new hires, according to recruiting consultancy CareerXroads. Employers are keen on employee referrals because they generally come from trusted internal sources and because they serve to pre-vet candidates. Consequently, between 70 percent and 80 percent of new hires join their new employers through a personal connection or a networking referral.

Given the number of new hires who are recommended by internal employees, job seekers should look to cultivate relationships with employees at the companies they're targeting in their searches. Such internal connections can help job seekers discover open positions before they're advertised (the so-called hidden job market). They also serve as prospective employees' internal "moles," monitoring the recruiting process and keeping job seekers apprised of the status of their candidacy. Having an internal connection offers a distinct advantage to job seekers competing in a world of mass résumé submissions for each available opening.

So how do you find these connections? Start with your own network. Does anyone in your network work for your target company? Did anyone used to work for that company? If your network doesn't turn up a connection, ask your friends if they know anyone who's worked for the company you're interested in. Sites like LinkedIn can also help you find connections to target employers.

When you've found someone who works at your target company, emphasize your desire to exchange information rather than explicitly ask about job opportunities when you first approach your new connection. When the time is right, explain to him why you're interested in the company and the value you could bring as an employee. If your contact doesn't know of any openings in his department, ask him for referrals to other decision makers inside the company, perhaps at other business units. The more leads you generate, the more likely one of them will turn into a job offer. And always offer something in return. Generosity pays.

Your objective is to connect directly with hiring decision makers at your target companies through personal referrals and to secure multiple leads to unadvertised opportunities. When internal connections lead you to meetings with hiring managers where you can demonstrate your expertise and enthusiasm, you'll be several steps ahead of the competition and well on your way to a smoother, swifter landing into your next role.

Debra Feldman is the JobWhiz, a nationally recognized expert who designs and personally implements swift, strategic and customized senior-level executive job search campaigns. For more information, contact Debra atwww.JobWhiz.com. © 2008 CXO Media Inc.

Loading...
 
 
ABCs
 

Just the basics, please. Sometimes we all need a refresher or we need to make sure our team and our colleagues are all on the same page.

Over 25 tutorials on everything from business intelligence to virtualization.

 
 
FEATURED SPONSORS
 
 
 
SPONSORED LINKS
 

Deliver Social Computing Business Value

SAS a Leader in Forrester BI report. Click here to see evaluation.

Protect data-HP All-in-One and Disk-Based systems

Microsoft SQL Server 2008. Read Case Studies, Watch Demos, & Download for Free

The 2008 CEO Study: Implications for the CIO

HP LaserJet P4014n printer starting at $799 after $100 IS. www.hp.com

NEW HP Color LaserJet CP3525n printer starting at $699. » SHOP NOW. www.hp.com

Predict the future with HP Insight Power Manager

A new level of interoperability. Make IT Work As One@novell.com

Businesses Transform with VMware Virtualization

IT Service Management: Metrics That Matter

Download the free CIO Starter Kit to access useful resources created by top CIOs

Log onto Hitachi True Stories, films inspired by the next great achievement

Request a Novell/Microsoft deployment workshop

Strong Authentication. Secure USB data storage. One Device

Build up or Tear down? See how UC makes sense with Nortel. Calculate your UC ROI

SOA Educational Library at the TIBCO SOA Resource Center

A fresh look at the impact of customer intimacy.

Webcast: SOA Brings Backend Systems into the Future, Rapidly & Successfully

Find out why IDC thinks virtualization is changing operating environments.

Explore the impact virtualization can have on your bottom-line.

ESG Research on Server and Storage Virtualization

Webcast: Mitigate Operational Risk- Real Answers for Tough Times

Laptop Security: Where Do CIOs See Weaknesses?

How RFID Improves Data Center Efficiency

Learn how the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor improves performance

Predict the future with HP Insight Power Manager

Drive Business Value with Enterprise Social Computing - whitepaper

See how IBM helped Bharti create a new business model

Read how IBM helped Hughes enhance security

HP LaserJet M3035 MFP series starting at $1,599. » SHOP NOW. www.hp.com

NEW HP Color LaserJet CM3530n MFP starting at $2,499. » SHOP NOW. www.hp.com

Affordable technology-no compromise. HP server solutions

Make IT Work As One@novell.com

Learn about the software-based VoIP solution from Microsoft

CIO Starter Kit includes useful resources created by top CIOs. Free Download>>

Rolling the dice with your security? Take the Self-Assessment Test now

Request a Novell/Microsoft deployment workshop and kit

Request a Novell/Microsoft deployment kit

Compuware.com - See how we make IT rock around the world

Discover PMI's credentials and career path tools

Learn how companies are changing how they reach out to their most profitable customers.

The Right and Wrong Master Data Management Strategies to Start Small and Grow Big

Learn how to leverage virtualization for a 74% savings in TCO.

Find out how you can affordably consolidate applications with VMware.

Discover what you need to consider when evaluating virtualization.

Save with 0% Lease Offer on HP Servers and Storage

The Customer Communications Management Platform - Key Functionality and Best Practices

Data Center ROI with RFID Asset Tracking

Paving the Way for Trusted Collaboration