How to Find Unadvertised Job Openings
It is very competitive to get a job in today's difficult economy. One of the best ways to get a job is to somehow find an unadvertised job opening. There are different methods that you can try, including the following.
Inquire when you know that someone is leaving the company
If you work at a company (or even just know of a company) that has an employee leaving, you might be able to get an "in" before they have a chance to advertise the opening. You can ask your boss, human resources or whoever would be in charge of the new position if you might be considered. Ask if they will need someone to replace that person and see if you could possibly get it.
Cold call companies
Sometimes the best thing to do is to call around to different companies to ask if there are any job openings. Even if they do not have one advertised, there may be one that is new, that they haven't gotten around to advertising or for whatever reason is available. If you catch someone at just the right time then you might get an interview without having to compete with the hundreds that seem to apply for every open job nowadays. The key to this might be volume. You literally might want to look in the Yellow Pages and go down the list of companies in your field (i.e. advertising companies if you are a copywriter). With enough calls you just might get lucky. You can also contact companies in other ways such as by writing an e-mail to their human resources department or visiting.
Ask people you know
It is often said that it is not what you know, but who, and this can be extremely true when you are searching for a job. You can ask around to everyone who might have connections in the field. Even if they do not, they may know someone who knows someone. They may be able to give you a name or a number and then you can call and ask about the job. You also might have a better chance because of your association with the person.
Just because a company does not advertise jobs does not mean that they are not there, especially for the right person. Consider the above tactics to help you find these jobs. By getting in before the masses you might be lowering your competition and increasing your chances of getting the job.
