I’ve talked about joining e-mail groups (forums, lists, whatever you want to call them) to be in the right place at the right time. Here’s an excellent example of an e-mail from Greg Brooks that went out just last week on YoungPRPros:
I need a Microsoft Access database pro who’s available for an immediate assignment. Anyone know anyone?
My favorite part? Where he asks does “anyone know anyone?“
This is how it happens. This is the hidden job market. It’s not a secretive thing, it’s just not on the job boards.
The logic behind this elusive “hidden job market” is that billions (yes, that is an exaggerated number) of people are on job boards, which means there’s a lot of competition for that one great job posting. Think you are the best one for the job? So do hundreds of others. And your are “just one more resume.”
But these groups have opportunities that come up frequently, they are real, and the competition is almost non-existent. Want proof? Here are some comments from Greg, after he posted the e-mail to the group:
- I found someone within one hour of posting my request to two lists.
- Speed matters — people who didn’t contact me within the first hour or so weren’t even in the running.
- I got the project (which I’d spec’d at about $500 worth of work) done for $140.
- I’ll do other work with this guy again.
Even though this was a $140 job, I’ve seen other jobs on these lists, full-time, from executive to entry-level. This is the real deal. This is your hidden job market.
To find the list(s) that works best for you try and do a search from the Yahoo Groups page, or the Google Groups page. Some terms to search for include:
- PMP (for project management professionals)
- accountants
- marketers
- … you get the idea.
Go find the hidden job market!
Jason,
Thanks again for your insightful help. These groups really are where the action is at! Do you have any suggestions of other groups that would be helpful to those in the General Management field?
Barry
Barry, that’s an excellent question, I sent it to a buddy of mine who knows a lot more than I do in this space… I hope to hear from him soon!
Hi, Barry/Jason,
With respect to good groups for General Management opportunities, one of the strongest of many strong lists on Yahoo Groups is KitList: https://groups.yahoo.com/group/KITlist/
From the site:
HISTORY:
“Sue Connelly started the Keep In Touch (KIT) List in 1997 as a way to “keep in touch” with friends and clients at Silicon Graphics (SGI). Sue is not a recruiter; she has a marketing communications consulting business (www.connellycom.com). When SGI started to lay off people, Sue contacted her own network to find job leads to pass on to her friends at SGI. The list has grown rapidly from there. Amy Sloniker Plunkett and Kelly Connelly add their talents to help with the huge moderator load.
There are 54,000 subscribers, and there are two KIT Lists based on your job needs”
Hope this helps, Barry,
Thanks,
Vincent Wright
http://www.MyLinkedinPowerForum.com
Jason,
Great article and I couldn’t agree with you more. One place in particular that people should look is with local groups. Especially if they are in a position that prevents them from being able to relocate.
I’m proud to say that my small, but growing, local group has already helped 5 people land a job.
Keep up the great work.
John W.