Through the line
A different perspective on "The Hidden Jobs Market"
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know my dislike for the term Hidden Jobs Market.
If you’d like a reminder, here’s the second chapter of Jobseeker Basics.
Yet, there’s no getting away from two facts:
Not all jobs are advertised
Not all advertised jobs are filled by advert applicants
How can we best create an accurate, representative, consistent, and replicable headline title for our entire job market?
If you accept that a job search is a marketing exercise, where you are the product and your next employer is the buyer, then there is a simple term that can underpin your strategy:
Through-the-line
In marketing, this is an integrated strategy that combines above-the-line with below-the-line.
You integrate these into one strategy to tackle the whole market appropriately.
What’s above-the-line?
This is an approach to marketing that captures interest in the broadest way possible, through volume-based media.
Typically, this creates inbound interest, where the consumer makes an enquiry, takes action, or goes out and buys the product.
Examples:
John Lewis Christmas Advert, or any advert on TV, online, in the press
A trailer for a film
You might say playing a single on the radio is marketing for the album
Examples in a recruitment campaign:
A job advert
Social media content
What’s below-the-line?
This is a targeted approach that reaches a specific person or group of people.
Typically, this is interest created through outbound activity, where the seller or marketer takes action to reach you.
Examples:
A telesales call
Direct mail
Personalised email marketing
Examples in a recruitment search:
Contacting candidates through LinkedIn or CV databases
Gaining referrals and recommendations
What complicates matters in a job search is that while the employer is a buyer, so too should you be. It’s your decision to buy, if you accept a job offer (of course you have to get the job offer first!).
So you can take an above-the-line and below-the-line approach that mirrors how recruiters will find you.
Effective applications where the reader can see your candidacy from your CV/resume / cover letter
Appropriate response to social media presence
These directly mirror the recruiter approach above.
You can build on the inbound activities above with proactive outbound activities:
These are all activities that are formed from your strategy, which have different chances of success. Don’t forget to check out the full archive for more articles on how to form your strategy from the right insight.
There is a key difference to standard marketing.
You’re reading this because you’re in a tough market, and your odds of any of these activities paying off are low - because of the state of the market.
But if you do these measures effectively, you optimise your odds of securing a role.
And unlike companies who need multiple ongoing customers - you only need one job offer.
So. Why not say goodbye to the unknowable piffle of the hidden jobs market?
And say hello to an integrated Through-the-line strategy with inbound and outbound activity.
The Through The Line Jobs Market, for short.
Thanks for reading.
Greg
p.s. join me and Simon Ward live for our next session on Wednesday at 1pm, GMT. Attend here:
https://www.linkedin.com/events/thejobhunter-shelpdesk7292110329247875072