Three Things You Need to Know Before Job Hunting

1. Most jobs are never advertised
2. Who you know is as important as what you know
3. Small companies are the biggest employers

1. 75% of all jobs are not advertised.
One of the biggest myths of job hunting is that “jobs are advertised.” Therefore, if a job isn't in the newspaper or on SpartanTRAK, the job doesn’t exist, right? Wrong.

It’s a lot cheaper and faster for an employer to hire a relative, a friend, or someone they’ve met before. Otherwise, they have to go to the trouble of writing up a job description, filing paper work, having a search, and then, finally, hiring someone.

For this reason, and the two others below, many jobs are never advertised.

2. Who you know is as important as what you know.
Most people locate job openings through personal contacts. Here’s how new job seekers successfully found their job: (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002)

Employers would rather hire someone they know, or who is vouched for by someone they respect. A student who is bold enough to make a cold contact also impresses them.

Review your strategy:
How much of your time are you spending looking for a job posting, and how much developing your network of contacts in your field?
Have you talked to all of your friends, relatives, and professors?
Have you kept in touch with alumni or people you met at career fairs?

3. The Majority of Americans work for companies with 100 employees or less.
Many students are interested in working for “Brand Name” companies like Ford or Abbott Labs. However, most Americans work for small companies.
These companies usually don’t attend career fairs.
These companies don’t pay to advertise positions in large, online job websites.

You will have to dig to find these companies by researching, using the tools available to you, and by networking.

Don’t despair—this is actually good news!
When a company is small, it’s easier to find who you need to talk to
Personal contact is valued highly
Small companies tend to promote people quickly

Hiring statistics also show that while large companies have been hit by the recent economic downturn, small companies are hiring at the same or a greater level than before.

Stats from ReferenceUSA.com and BLS

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