The Informal Job Market

Unadvertised job opportunities which you must dig out through your own initiative. The informal job market is a needle in the haystack but the best way of managing your career and giving you the chance to have a choice between jobs. Applying for advertised positions leaves you at the mercy of someone else's timing.

Pros

• Non-competitive - you are often the only candidate for the job.
• Discussions with potential employers are more informal and relaxed.
• Greater chance of changing industries.
• Focus of interview is on what you can offer not on how you compare with other candidates.
• An employer may fit you in somewhere if they like you, hence creating a job for you.
• You are in control of your own momentum - waiting to be called for a formal interview is depressing.
• Momentum is psychologically advantageous as it builds your confidence.
• Some say that 80% of the total jobs available in any one year change hands informally.

Cons

• Hard work obtaining informal interviews as they are obviously not advertised.
• Intimidating at first having to dig out opportunities at your own initiative.

Where to start?

• Networking with contacts to beat the competition.
• Direct approaches to prospective employers.

Direct approaches

• Identify likely target companies and who your boss would be.
• Avoid the Personnel Department.
• Write letters with your CV or Resume and follow up with a phone call, but don't ask for a job in the letter. Ask for a meeting for a no-obligation discussion.
• When changing industries, emphasize your desire to learn about their industry as a reason for meeting.
• If it is the same industry, emphasize a mutual exchange of views on how the industry is likely to develop and meeting for future reference, i.e. mutual networking benefits.
• Position the purpose of the meeting as an exploratory chat to give the employer a chance to assess you on face saving basis without having to acknowledge that they have a definite need for your services at this time.
• Be prepared to ask networking questions as well as to be interviewed, i.e. who else they can think of that you could talk to in similar companies.
• Only ask networking questions if there appears to be no interest with the employer you are meeting.