Yes, you are hearing it right. 80% of the jobs are actually considered ‘hidden’, which means that a large chunk of the jobs is meant to be filled through unadvertised channels. In this blog, we will talk about how to navigate the hidden job market in Canada. It doesn’t mean that we are going to teach you how to use the most adequate keyword on search engines to uncover the hidden market, but rather we will be giving you insights on the resources you may need.
Section 1: What is the hidden job market in Canada?
Quick Definition:
Jobs that are not publicly advertised.
Insights:
Jobvite’s 2019 Jobseeker national survey reports that even though most applicants apply for jobs on a job board or employer career site, 35% found job postings on social media, 50% of respondents heard about jobs from friends, and 37% said they learn about jobs from professional networks. (Jobvite, 2019)
Why are jobs hidden?
Cost Efficient:
The employer needs to pay a service fee to the recruitment firm for helping them to hire a qualified candidate.
Time-Saving:
If a job post is available online, sometimes there will be so many applicants and it might take too long to select a candidate.
Confidential:
Some jobs duties can be confidential and the company might not want its competitor to know.
Higher quality candidate:
The employer has already developed a professional relationship with the candidate. Those candidates have the right time and could save time to onboard them.
Section 2: As a college student, how to navigate the hidden job market?
Start networking
If you are a university student who is seeking jobs, it is important for you to build a Linkedin profile, listing your work experience, skills and education. To go a step further, you should connect with recruiters. Remember, instead of asking recruiters for work opportunities, it is better to ask for advice. For example, you may want to ask ‘As a recruiter, what’s the key competence you look for in a candidate’, ‘Is there a specific section on my resume that I should work on in order to stand out from other candidates. By doing so, you are expressing your interest in working for the firm, and hence you are leaving a good impression on the recruiters.
If you are a student who is participating in Create Career College’s Hospitality Management Diploma Co-op Program or the Health Care Assistant Program, you will have the chance to experience the Vancouver job market. When you are working, don’t forget to build positive relationships with your colleagues and if you perform well, there is a high possibility to be hired back as a full-time employee.
Reaching out to the professor and career advisor
If you don’t have a dream company or don’t know who to connect with, no worries, you can start by reaching out to your professors and career advisors. Usually, those professionals have work relationships with a variety of employers, and they can tell you if you are a good fit for the role or not.
*Even if you have already graduated, you can still ask for career coaching services from your school’s career centre. In general, career advisors are willing to empower alumni.
Use Craigslist
Do you know that there is a fee to post a job on Linkedin or Indeed? For small companies who want to save the expense, they would consider hiring contract or part-time workers and chances are they will use Craigslist to make a job post. (Especially that Cragalist has the location feature which helps to target the local resident).
Participate in the Riipen Projects
Riipen is an educational platform that connects employers and students with real projects. Students are able to form a team to work on the project over the semester and they will communicate with employers on a regular basis to report on the work progress. It is especially beneficial for undergraduate students because they get the chance to learn more about the company’s service, network with colleagues, and have a higher chance to be hired.