How to Find Remote Jobs Using the Hidden Job Market

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What is the Hidden Job Market?

The hidden job market refers to jobs that are not posted and those you cannot actively apply to. An estimated 40-80% jobs are part of the hidden market. That's a lot of untapped potential jobs out there! Typically, these jobs are accessed through personal networks via word of mouth or through recruiters.

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The Best Way to Find Hidden Jobs: Networking

Networking is crucial to accessing hidden jobs. You’re already networking all the time! Whether you chat with a barista, fellow commuter, or customers, you’re building your network. Of course, you want to meet people “in the know,” but you never know who has the connections you’re looking for!

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Request an Informational Interview

An informational interview is where you find out information on an industry or role from a professional in the field. To get an informational interview, you can contact someone in your network, ask friends for an introduction, or reach out via LinkedIn! During the interview, ask about the role, the company, and the industry itself.

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Find an Internship or Mentorship

If you have trouble sourcing jobs from the hidden job market, you may need to start smaller. An internship or mentorship is good for getting into a new field or the job market in general. In addition to gaining on-the-job training and experience, you'll make new connections with these positions, which ultimately helps you get to the hidden job market.

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Volunteer

Many people underestimate the power of volunteer work. By volunteering for a charity, community organization, or professional group, you open yourself up to a whole new network of people. You can also gain experience in a new field that you can use for a portfolio or resume. Plus, many employers value work-related volunteering as prior experience for a position.

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Attend Job Fairs

Many local chambers of commerce, business groups, and other groups host job fairs. These days, there are many online job fairs as well, FlexJobs and My Employment Options regularly host them. Besides making direct connections, you can also gather info on specific companies and learn what requirements people are looking for, so you can build for future opportunities.

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Promote Your Expertise

Why not let the recruiters come to you? If you are already an expert in your field, promote your knowledge online.  Through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, guest writing, starting a blog, etc., you can create content about your area of expertise and use it to promote yourself. You’ll see that soon enough, people will begin to seek you out.

8 Useful Tools for Tapping into the Hidden Job Market

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1. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the best place to connect professionally with former colleagues and potential employers. You can mark your profile as open to work and recruiters may reach out.

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2. Hunter

When reaching out via cold emails, finding the correct contact information can be difficult. Hunter allows you to find professional email addresses.

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3. Glassdoor

You want to ensure that the company you have your eyes set on will be a good place to work and pay you the right price. Glassdoor lists employee reviews and salaries.

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4. Eventbrite

Eventbrite is used by many organizations, big and small, for hosting professional networking events, conferences, and job fairs. Use it to find events in your area.

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5. BNI

Business Network International (BNI) is the largest business networking organization in the world and has local chapters in most major cities and towns.

Volunteer Match is an excellent place to find professional volunteer opportunities - both locally and virtually in other cities.

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6. Volunteer Match

Meetup can help you expand your network and connect with people who share your interests. From hiking to reading, you can network with people online or locally.

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7. Meetup

Ten Thousand Coffees allows you to connect with colleagues, interns, new hires, mentoring, and groups. It’s a great way to begin networking.

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8. Ten Thousand Coffees