Lesson 5 of 1225 minutesFree

Target employers and the hidden job market

Map the people you already know, rank thirty organisations by fit and access, write outreach that gets replies, and work with search firms.

Goes with Chapter 5 of How To Get Your Dream Job. Everything saves in this browser only.

Before you start

Your path

Choose your field and level. The examples and suggestions in this lesson change to match.

The story

Six adverts in five months

Lena · Head of marketing · eleven years' experience

Lena wanted a marketing director role. She checked four job sites and LinkedIn every morning. In five months she found six adverts that fitted, applied for all six, and had one interview.

Then a former colleague mentioned that two brands Lena admired had appointed new marketing directors that spring. Neither role had been advertised. One was filled by a search firm that had never heard of her; the other by someone the chief executive had met at a conference.

“I’d been staring at job sites while the job I wanted was being sorted out over coffee.”

Many senior roles are filled through people the team already knows, introductions and executive search. This lesson helps you reach that part of the market.

Step 1 · Map your weak ties

The people you know a little

Acquaintances often hear about different opportunities from close friends, because they move in different circles. List former colleagues, clients, classmates, people from professional groups and past managers. Mark anyone in or near your target field.

Name

Where they work now

Role

Near my target?

Step 2 · Your target list

Rank organisations by fit and access

Score each organisation 1–5 for fit (does it match my Positioning Statement?) and access (do I know anyone there, or anyone who knows someone?). The list sorts itself, and your top ten are highlighted.

Organisation

Fit 1–5

Access 1–5

Contact or route in

Your top ten

Step 3 · Outreach that gets a reply

The five-line message

Short, specific and easy to answer. Ask for twenty minutes, not a job.

1 · Connection: how you found them, or who you both know

2 · Why them: something specific about their work

3 · Who you are: your ten-second line

4 · The small ask

5 · The easy exit

Your message

Step 4 · Search firms

Be findable, then be memorable

A retained search firm is paid by the employer to fill one role and approaches people who aren't looking. A contingent recruiter is paid only if their candidate is hired. Either way, they work for the employer. Choose two or three who place people in your target role.

Firm and consultant

Retained or contingent?

Recent appointment they ran

Last contact

★ Core activity

Your outreach plan

Your top ten organisations, your outreach message and your search-firm shortlist, on one page.

Before you move on

Three questions

Five minutes, in English or your own language: whichever lets you think most clearly.

Which organisation on your list would you most love to work for, and who could help you get a conversation there?

What stops you contacting people you don't know? What would make it feel easier?

Which search firm is most worth a conversation, and how will they find you?

What to remember

Five things to keep

Many senior roles are filled through people the team already knows, or through search.
Choose where you want to work, and rank organisations by fit and access.
Talk to the team, not the inbox.
Short, specific outreach with a small ask gets replies.
Search firms work for the employer: be findable, be memorable, and run your own search too.

Lesson 6: The CV that gets shortlisted

Write a profile and scope statements that show your level, rewrite weak bullets, and match your CV to the advert's own words.

Start Lesson 6 All lessons

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