Recipe for Success With the Hidden Job Market

Introduction
The Hidden Job Market is a phrase representing the 70% of all jobs that are unadvertised. Advertised positions comprise the remaining 30%. The percent of unadvertised opportunities has been steadily increasing because companies are finding ways of filling their staffing needs without having to formally announce positions and spend money on advertising. Social media strategies have become a chief recruiting tool so people seeking opportunities can do quite well if they understand how to navigate this terrain. 

What is a Workable Method?
My definition of a workable method for accomplishing a goal is that it works most of the time. If a method works less than 25% of the time, or, if it takes a very long time to produce the intended result, it is NOT a workable method.

The traditional job search model, i.e. resume, cover letter, blanketing companies with your information and hoping you will generating interest, going on interviews hoping to get a second one, etc. is a model that works too infrequently to be a workable method. Most people know this but they cling to it anyway because they simply do not have an alternative. Now, you do. People also cling to outdated methods because they are terrified of admitting they don't have a real answer or solution.

In the steps below, you will learn a real, workable method for locating, creating and solidifying a large variety of profitable opportunities. Some of these may turn out to be traditional salaried employment and others may take different forms such as consulting, independent contract work, projects, partnerships, paid internships, freelance opportunities, etc. The bottom line is that they all have one thing in common—putting cash in your bank account. 

Utilizing a Systems Solution
By embracing and applying the steps below, you will also transform how you think about yourself, your value in the marketplace, your communication and relationship skills and your level of confidence. You will no longer be at the effect of economic conditions.

This is an example of a systems solution where all aspects of a situation are carefully considered rather than using Band-Aids which aim to solve a large problem with a superficial, one dimensional solution.

I recommend that you print the 10 steps for achieving success in the Hidden Job Market below, and use it as checklist as you progress through your job/career transition process. If you would like some assistance in completing these steps, we're available to help. Just send us an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll respond promptly.

10 steps for achieving success in the Hidden Job Market

Step 1: Give Up the Job Seeker Label
Declare yourself to no longer be a job seeker and stop telling people you are looking for a job. This is perhaps the most difficult step, but it is the most important.

There may be a temporary vacuum caused by not knowing how to think and speak of yourself but not to worry, this gap will be replaced very quickly with a new, refreshing and empowering sense of professional identity, one that restores a sense of clarity, dignity and sense of personal power to your professional life.

Step 2: Adopt a New Empowering Identity
Declare yourself to be a problem solver, solution provider, fulfiller of unmet needs, consultant, advisor or mentor, whichever name appeals most to you. Choose a name you really like and one that you can identify with easily. 

If you cannot think of a good name, brainstorm with your friends or coach if you have one but most importantly stop talking about getting a job and being hired unless you like having doors slammed in your face. 

Labels are a form of branding or positioning which either open doors or close them. The employee label is a diminishing, self limiting label that often results in giving your power away. This is ultimately damaging to your self esteem and self respect. 

If you feel you must continue to use this job seeker label, get yourself a hat (a baseball cap) and place the label "employee" on it. Then on a second hat place the label "The Real Me". Then, when you are functioning in the capacity of job seeker, wear the employee hat and at other times wear the hat "The Real Me".

To make this exercise really powerful, confine your actions with each hat to behaviors that are consistent with that label. Now notice the feelings you have when wearing each of your hats. 

Step 3: Get to Know the New You
You will need to spend some time getting to know the new you, the person associated with the Real Me Hat. With support, you will find this to be a fun, exhilarating and immensely validating adventure. 

Your challenge is primarily in letting go of old outdated notions and beliefs that no longer serve you and which are simply no longer effective in the marketplace. The world has changed. It is time to wake up.

See my article Winning in a World Without Jobs at http://bit.ly/tYShB if you are new to these changes or need a refresher. Acknowledging the truth about this to yourself may be difficult in light of the fact that so many advisors continue to tell you to revise your resume yet again and to do more networking.

Note: Networking is meaningless term unless you understand precisely what it means and have the tools and skills to bring about the end result. Without having all the tools, you are likely to get yourself more frustrated. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

Step 4: Translate Your Accomplishments into Solutions and Value
Most people are aware of their accomplishments but are often unclear on how their skills, talents and experiences translate into solutions and value to organizations. Since it is critical for you become clear and articulate about your unique value, it will be important to extract your special problem solving abilities from your accomplishments. 

The easiest way to do this is to start with one recent and important accomplishment. Go back in time to just before your accomplishment happened and take a visual snapshot in your mind of the state of affairs in the organization or environment in which you were working. Then ask yourself this key question: what were the chief problems or needs that existed? Write them down. 

Now fast forward to right after you completed your accomplishment and once again, take a snapshot of the situation and environment. Ask yourself these questions and write down your answers.

• What changed from one picture to the next?
• How did the change occur? 
• Utilizing a problem-solution framework, what were the solutions that made the critical difference? 
• What previously unmet needs got fulfilled?
• How did you personally create and implement these solutions? 

Instead of focusing on your talents and skills that you usually take for granted, focus instead on the value that you brought to the situation. Now continue this process with your remaining accomplishments. When you have done this exercise with all of them, take a step back and look for the dominant pattern of solutions and value that you repeatedly bring to each situation. If you look closely, you will find this pattern. This will then become the focal point in your letter of introduction in step 6 below.

Step 5: Stop Using a Resume
A resume is a fundamentally limiting tool because it promotes the label of you as a job seeker. The resume is also an ineffective marketing tool because the intrinsic expectations and formal rules of resumes prevent you from selling yourself on paper in a compelling and effective manner. Professional resume writers may disagree but their "improvements" are still limited to a defined context. 

If you decide to actively pursue the 30% of advertised positions, use a functional resume only and keep a chronological work history separate from this document. Only provide your chronological work history if requested in an interview but otherwise do not even speak about it. Why? 

Chronological resumes are NOT effective marketing tools no matter how well they are written. They will also tend to pigeon-hole you into a stifling corporate mindset. A good example is the familiar gap in your resume, used by interviewers all the time to disqualify you.

Do you really want to play this game? Do you insist on punishing yourself in this manner? Here is a good response to the question "what were you doing between job A and Job B?"; "I was living my life, how about you?"

Step 6: Develop and Use a Letter of Introduction
In the place of a resume you will learn to use an amazingly powerful document called The Letter of Introduction. The advantages and uses of this tool are vast. The longer you use it, the more you will marvel at its many applications and level of effectiveness. 

Even the act of writing this letter is transformational because it opens the door to a freely expressive channel in you which allows you to convey who you are, the greatest value you have to offer and what you are seeking. 

The letter of introduction works equally well as an prelude to a serious business conversation and a networking interaction which can put you in touch with key people very quickly. You may want to have a few versions of your letter for different purposes. Learning to write and utilize a letter of introduction begins to awaken you to the world of effective marketing, something significantly absent in most job seekers.

The Letter of Introduction has several main components which are as follows:

• Opening paragraph to establish rapport and your reason for writing
• A Second paragraph honing in quickly and powerfully on your major value to organizations
• A short bulleted list of examples where you implemented solutions validating your assertion
• A Third paragraph briefly summarizing the most ideal projects for you.
• Final paragraph expressing why a phone conversation would be beneficial to both of you. This is virtually always the intended outcome of the letter.
• Important: Never use the words job, employment, interview, getting hired or salary anywhere in your letter!

In our Breakthrough Coaching programs, you will acquire in depth tools and support for writing and utilizing your letter of introduction. To schedule your complimentary consultation, send us an email to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with some good times in your schedule to chat.

Step 7: Use Social Media Strategies to Identify Matching Problems and Needs
Once you know your specialty as far as solving problems and satisfying needs, your next step is to use all online and offline resources to identify potential sources of these needs. A good way to start this process is by asking a series of marketing questions that will allow you to effectively hone in on your target market and speed up the process of locating key people that match your profile. Here are some sample questions to get you started:

• What is your major targeted industry?
• What is your ideal company or organization?
• What are the primary problems or needs you have identified to be your greatest strengths?
• What are the people within organizations most likely to have direct involvement with these needs or problems?

Once you have answered these questions you can then start your search and sorting process. You will want to concentrate on LinkedIn and Twitter to establish connections but another great resource will be industry specific networks and contacts.

Step 8: Begin Conversations With People Matching Your Profile
As soon as you locate people who appear to be connected to your target market or industry, it is important to be proactive, to reach out and make contact. If you have some inkling that a person has a need you can address, it is best to make contact right away but be sure to establish rapport and make a connection before diving into the specifics of the situation. 

The art of relationship building and relationship based selling is one of our most powerful courses at Breakthrough Coaching. To learn about it, send us an email at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

You will also find that you can share your goal and directly ask people for referrals to people and organizations that match your profile. Sending them your letter of introduction is usually ideal at this juncture especially if they give any indication of interest or receptivity.

Be sure you have a clear plan on how you are going to present yourself and the best way to interact with new contacts. You can work out these details with your coach if you have one and if not, you can do some role plays with friends or family. The aim is to get comfortable and confident with your approach and get it refined to the point where you can carry the conversation forward to completing a deal if appropriate.

Step 9: Complete Profitable Agreements With Best Organization(s)
Once you have started a conversation and identified the need or problem which matches your area(s) of expertise, you are ready to move into negotiation and make something happen. 

This can be a very quick and straightforward process when you have really clicked and have what the person needs. In other situations it may take several meetings to complete the deal.

Either way, you will want to be clear on the entire conversation and sales process and also clear on how you will take the person through the important steps. This is a stage where having a buddy or a coach for brainstorming is important. Role playing is the perfect tool for gaining clarity, skill and confidence in presenting yourself. 

At Breakthrough Coaching, supporting people with mastering their sales process is our forte. Just email us at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll get back to you asap. 

Step 10: Utilize an Effective Learning, Coaching System to Ensure and Accelerate Your Success
If you feel able and confident completing all these steps on your own, great. Go for it! On the other hand, if you would like some assistance, we're available to help you. 

The ideal starting point is our no cost phone consultation in which we will assess your personal situation and then devise a complete plan of action tailored to your personal needs. Just send an email to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it including times you're available to chat by phone and a brief description of your situation. We'll get back to you asap with a good time to schedule. 

Keep in mind that most significant growth and learning in life takes place in the context of supportive relationships. No matter what your circumstances may be, working in partnership with others will have profound impact and value.

If your tendency until now has been to operate as the lone ranger, it is time to reach out and connect with others. Our Breakthrough Alliance page on facebook is a community of people supporting one another. Check out our page and join us at http://bit.ly/7XzkE.

All the articles and blog entries on our website, breakthroughcoaching.cc will prove very useful too. Just go to breakthroughcoaching.cc and click on the article link located on the main menu.

Feedback, Comments and Questions
I hope that these steps have been helpful to you. Please send your feedback, comments and questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .. This allows me to continue refining the materials so it helps more people!

• Let go of the past and unlock a portal to clarity, aliveness, creativity, and success
• Resolve short term financial concerns and needs
• Identify your interests, values, skills and passions and distill them into an optimum career
• Understand your unique gifts and talents and how to convey your value to others
• Build momentum on a Confidence-Success Spiral
• Research your targeted field and forge the key alliances you need for success
• Use Social Media tools and an Entrepreneurial Attitude to access the hidden job market, create profitable associations with individuals and organizations
• Develop and sustain an effective support network and coaching system to keep you on track
• Apply financial management strategies that further increase your creative freedom

• 126 Page Workbook in PDF format, containing all the materials, tools, exercises and techniques accumulated over 2 decades in working with thousands of people in career transition.
• Over 10 hours of audio presentations completely integrated within the workbook. This makes it easy to access the presentations via streaming audio or MP3 download to your iPod or MP3 player.
• You will experience the entire program as an ongoing interactive seminar with the ability to review or repeat any segment anytime you wish.

Here's what our Career Crafting Participants have to say

When I think of those who have helped me most in life, you and the Career Crafting program come to mind. In a few short weeks you have made a difference to me and to those who depend upon me for sustenance, nurturing, capability and strength.

You listened to me from a quiet place within you and rendered from this same place the blessings of surprise and discovery that brought back my spirited interest in life, my desire to do meaningful work and an expanded ability to express myself in all situations and relationships. You gave me both the emotional and pragmatic tools I needed to transcend any seeming setback and transform frustrations into new possibilities.

I want to thank you for the Career Crafting program and all your encouragement and support. Over the past year I've realized many of my goals in fine art photography. These goals were lifetime desires but were put on the "back shelf" because they seemed so impractical. I now believe artists can make money from their art. Its easy to believe it now that I'm doing it. Through the Career Crafting program, I became more focused, enthusiastic and successful. Thank you!

Discovering what is really one's passion and acting upon it is not an easy process. Distractions always seem to be there. Career Crafting, and the energy you personally bring to it, has changed my life. It has allowed me a structure and a definite path toward realizing and bringing into place what I really love. This has not occurred overnight but has been an unfolding process for me. I can see the pieces come together more and more as time passes.

There is no magic to the program. It is solid In its approach. But like anything, the tools must be applied and practiced. However, the support is always available. I highly recommend the Career Crafting program to anyone who is seeking to improve the quality of their life. It will have an impact that will continue to serve and direct an entire lifetime.

Howard, a thousand thanks to you for presenting and sharing the Career Crafting program. The most important aspect of the program was discovering what I am passionate about. Passion motivates, energizes instantly, creates new possibilities and opens doors that were once shut. Passion and vision practiced together has the inherent probability of creating happy geniuses like myself.

When we met, I was involved with a traditional career marketing program which failed to provide these qualities. Career Crafting taught me these things and offered a brilliant plan for developing concrete opportunities.

The biggest factor in my decision to do the Career Crafting program was the feeling you gave me of your total commitment to me reaching my goals. You were able to convey this commitment to me within the first few minutes of our conversation. Everything else was icing on the cake. You mirrored to me my own commitment to change, to move on and to find my path. I am now soaring on my path and I am forever grateful to you.

I have been actively involved with Breakthrough Coaching for some time now. In particular, I've been going through the Career Crafting program which is combined with coaching to accelerate the process. This has proven to be quite a powerful combination.

Over the past 30 years, I have worked full-time in the IT field, while doing a small amount of paid work in the holistic health field. Although I invested lots of my time, effort and money in researching, studying and learning various aspects of holistic health, I did not consider building it into a full-time practice. I reluctantly accepted that my passion for holistic health would have to remain an important but expesnive "hobby" because I believed that I could not realistically make it my career.

Becoming a full time wellness consultant looked to me like an unreachable goal—my private pipe dream seasoned with longing and wishful thinking. I just did not see any way to generate sufficient income pursuing my passion and it felt like I was in prison with no way to escape. I feel so fortunate that I found Breakthrough Coaching and the Career Crafting program. First, I learned how to clarify my real goals. Then, my coaching with Howard Sambol helped me to find and shift the limiting, unconscious beliefs and patterns that were keeping me trapped in a life I did not want.

Now I am most of the way there, building my real career, working full time in my own brand of holistic health, research, consulting and coaching. As an added bonus, I experienced and benefitted from a number of powerful personal growth breakthroughs along the way. I am very grateful. Following my passion and being paid well for doing what I love is attainable!

If you are in a career or life transition and wanting assistance to get your life and career on track, I recommend that you get on board with Career Crafting and coaching with Howard asap. It is very likely that this decision will be a significant turning point for you as it has been for me. Thank you Breakthrough Coaching and Howard Sambol!

Jeff Bell
Wellness Consultant