Job seekers often overlook the strategy of directly contacting potential employers. This approach entails identifying companies you would like to work for and contacting them, regardless of whether they have advertised job vacancies.
While you can find jobs in the “hidden” or unadvertised job market using this technique, the cover letter and follow-up phone call also provide powerful networking opportunities. Nine times out of ten, you will probably hear from the employer that they don’t have any openings for the job you are interested in. However, once out of ten, you may hear a “yes,” which can lead you to learn about jobs you would not discover otherwise. And even when you hear no, the employer you talk with is in the industry you are interested in and can provide you with referrals to others who may have current job openings.
Below is an example of a letter you can use as a template. You can find many other examples here. Use these to develop your own letter that will help you uncover jobs in the “hidden” job market. Don’t forget that your Strengths Summary can be used for one of the paragraphs in your cover letter.
Step 1: Identify the geographic area where you would like to work.
Step 2: Using your CFT Skills Map, you have probably already decided on the category of employers for which you would like to work. For example, you may desire to use your top content skill of “personal finance.” This type of category would lead you to find organizations focused on this need, such as Edward Jones, Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, BlackRock, Vanguard, Bank of America, and BNY Mellon.
Step 3: Find specific companies within your chosen category or categories.
Step 4: Find out the name and title of the person who would have hiring authority for the position you are targeting. (For example, if you wanted to work in shipping/receiving for a bookstore, you would need the name and job title of the person who managed that department.)
You can get this information in several ways: (a) Your contacts might be helpful: Your friend, George, works for Borders bookstores. You ask him, “George, who manages the shipping and receiving department? What is her title?” (b) You can call the company directly: “Hello. Could you please tell me the name of the person who manages the shipping and receiving department?” (c) You can visit the company and ask for the information. (d) You can research to see if the person’s name is published in company literature, in reference books, in directories of professional associations, or on the company’s website. (Do call to verify that the information is still correct.)
Step 5: Record your contact information in an Excel file, Google Sheets, or in JibberJobber.com, which is a free online job search tool. Being organized is one of the keys to conducting an effective job search!
Step 6: Send a cover letter and resume to the direct employer contact. Here is an example you can use as a template. You can find many more examples in200 Letters for Job Hunters.
Step 7: Follow up with a phone call to the employer. Here are the specific steps for following up by phone.