You’ve probably heard that many jobs aren’t advertised. While stats indicating 70% to 80% of jobs are unadvertised are dated, most career professionals agree that the best way to land a job is through a referral.

While job board have their place, spending all your time applying to jobs online isn’t practical. Neither is expecting recruiters to contact you, even if your LinkedIn profile and other social media platforms are stellar.

While LinkedIn is still favored by recruiters, its popularity has declined. In 2018 LinkedIn dropped to 77%, down from 92% the previous year, followed by Facebook at 63% according to Jobvite’s 2018 Recruiter Nation Survey. Survey results show that 25% of recruiters are now sourcing candidates on Instagram.

Just remember, recruiters don’t work for you, they work for the employer. They are online looking for candidates to fill specific positions. More precisely, they are looking for a square peg to fit into a square hole. If you are a round peg you’re out of luck.

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The holidays are one of the best times of the year for networking.  So, if you’re actively looking for a job, even if you’re thinking about it, December is a great month to get out and meet people. This month, there are even more places to do this.

Begin with your office holiday party. It’s tempting to think we know the people that we work with I but if you work in a large corporation, I’ve worked in a couple, you probably don’t. There are a lot of people you are friendly with, as in your frequently exchange emails or phone calls, who you’ve never met face-to-face.  Your office party is the perfect opportunity to put faces to names and, maybe, get to know your boss a little better too.

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You’ve probably heard that many jobs aren’t advertised. That’s true. And even when jobs are advertised, candidates who come in as a referral have a better chance of landing the job. As the adage goes: People like to hire people they know and like.

So the best way to find a new opportunity is to have a strong, robust network. People who can help get your resume in front of your target employers. People who will think of you when the type of position you’re looking for opens.

Here are 6 ways to tap into that hidden job market.

#1 Target Employers

Yes, applying to jobs online should be 1 part of your job search. However, sitting at the computer all day responding to online jobs is not the most effective way to conduct a job search. Before you begin your job search, create a list of 10 to 15 target employers.

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