How to Access Hidden Research Job Opportunities

73% of cybersecurity jobs I fill never get posted. Here's how to access the hidden market Most people think job hunting works like this 1. Search Indeed/LinkedIn 2. Apply to postings 3. Wait for callback That's the VISIBLE market. But the best roles? They're filled before you ever see them. How the hidden market actually works WEEK 1: Company needs a Security Engineer WEEK 2: CISO asks their team "know anyone good?" WEEK 3: Someone refers a former colleague WEEK 4: Candidate interviews and gets offer WEEK 5: Job gets posted (for compliance/HR) WEEK 6: 200 people apply to an already-filled role You were competing for a job that was decided 4 weeks ago. THE 4 WAYS TO ACCESS HIDDEN JOBS METHOD 1: The Warm Intro Cold: Apply through job portal Warm: "Hey [connection], I saw [Company] is building a SOC. Know who's leading that?" Then ask for an intro. Hiring managers would rather interview a referral than screen 300 strangers. METHOD 2: The LinkedIn Signal When you see a company announce → New funding → New CISO hire → Major client win → Compliance certification They're about to hire security people. Comment on the post. DM the CISO. Ask about their security roadmap. METHOD 3: The Recruiter Relationship Don't just apply when you need a job. Build relationships with 3-5 recruiters NOW → Update them quarterly → Share when you learn new skills → Ask about market trends When the perfect role appears, they call YOU first. METHOD 4: The Problem Solver Approach Most effective but requires research 1. Identify 10 companies you want to work for 2. Follow their security team on LinkedIn 3. When they post about a challenge, engage thoughtfully 4. Eventually: "I've been thinking about [their problem]. Mind if I send you my thoughts?" You're building relationships, not sending applications. YOUR 30-DAY ACTION PLAN Week 1: → Identify 10 target companies → Follow their security leaders Week 2: → Engage on 3-5 posts per week → Add value, don't pitch yourself Week 3: → Connect with 3 recruiters in your space → Have actual conversations (not just "are you hiring?") Week 4: → Ask your network: "Who's hiring security people right now?" → Request warm intros THE TRUTH The visible job market is overcrowded. The hidden market is where the best opportunities are. Stop applying harder. Start networking smarter. Have you ever gotten a job that was never posted? How did it happen? #Cybersecurity #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #Networking #HiddenJobMarket #InfoSec #CyberJobs

I've discovered a powerful truth in my years leading Jobscan: the best job opportunities rarely make it to public job boards. 📢 From my experience, the most exciting roles come through community connections, not job sites. When you participate in niche communities, you gain access to a hidden job market where opportunities are shared through trusted networks. Here's what I personally recommend: 1️⃣ Find Your Communities: Identify 2-3 online groups relevant to your industry. I've found searching for "Slack communities for [your job title]" or exploring Discord and Reddit yields great results. 2️⃣ Listen First: I always advise joining and observing conversations before diving in. This helps you understand the community dynamics. 3️⃣ Add Value: Start contributing by asking thoughtful questions and sharing your expertise. At Jobscan, we've seen that building genuine connections, not just collecting contacts, is what truly opens doors. I believe your next career breakthrough might be just one conversation away. I'm curious - what are your favorite niche communities for your industry? #Networking #HiddenJobMarket #JobSearch

Most job seekers make this mistake: They jump straight into applying — and get filtered out before a human even sees their resume. Recruiters use multiple channels to find candidates - job posts, social media, networking, referrals, and sourcing tools. If you're only using a single-channel approach in your job search, it puts you at a disadvantage. Here's the system I've used in my own job search - based on 20 years of recruiting experience: Step 1: Build your recruiter magnet - Make sure your LinkedIn matches your resume. No contradictions - Showcase your work with links to your portfolio, GitHub, and relevant projects - Use a headline that signals what you do well - not just your current job title Step 2: Apply smart - Set job alerts on LinkedIn and Google - Apply within 8 hours of a posting going live - timing matters - Follow up directly with the hiring manager via LinkedIn DM and email Keep it short, relevant, and focused on why you're genuinely interested Step 3: Stay visible - Comment on posts from people at your target companies - Share 1–2 posts a week about what you’re learning, building, or thinking about - Connect with folks on the teams you’d want to join - Engage in Niche Communities: Go where the pros are. This could be a specific Slack or Discord community for their field (e.g., "Product-Led Alliance" for product managers, "DataTalks.Club" for data scientists), a professional association, or local meetups. Active, helpful participation there gets you noticed by senior people Step 4: Leverage weak ties (AKA - The Hidden Job Market) Everyone knows to ask close friends for help. The real magic is in "weak ties" — former colleagues, friends of friends, people you met once at an event. A quick "Hey, keeping an eye out for marketing roles and thought of your company" works. Step 5: Follow the Funding (follow the money): Sites like TechCrunch or Crunchbase announce new funding rounds. A newly funded company is almost always looking to hire. Reaching out right after a big announcement is a great way to get on their radar early. Something to add? Need help with any of the above? Drop a note in the comments! #jobsearchstrategy #recruitingtips #careerplaybook #jobhunting2025

Every day I’m asked about how to get a postdoc position - at USF and beyond. In order to provide more clarity, here is my best advice about the postdoc job market: ‼️Recruitment is often decentralized. What this means: All applications go through faculty and departments. This is true at USF and many US universities. Ways to find open positions: ✅ Contacting the postdoc office can sometimes help you - they sometimes have a list of open positions. Check their website. At USF this list is in the banner at the top of the page! https://lnkd.in/eKm4wnZg ✅ Check the university’s job board!!! Anything posted is likely there. At USF, please review all open positions on the USF careers page. Apply to any that are a fit for you. 👩💻 Good websites to check include insidehighered, higheredjobs, hercjobs, LinkedIn (jobs and posts), NPA job board, and more. ✅ Many faculty have postdoc funding and have not posted the position. This is the “hidden job market” and must be found through networking! ➡️ Review our faculty in all relevant departments and colleges. Faculty can have cross department appointments! Sometimes there are also research centers or other clusters of faculty working on multi- or inter- disciplinary projects. ➡️ Reach out to them directly. VERY IMPORTANT: Do your research to know their work! Talk to them and learn about THEIR current work. Make sure you’re ready to discuss how your expertise fits with their work. They are the primary focus of this conversation. You are second. ➡️THEN if there’s a fit you can ask about postdoc opportunities at the end of the conversation. 💰Don’t forget that YOU can apply for funding that supports your position as a postdoc. ☘️ Good luck finding your postdoc!! ☘️

"How do I find a job in the hidden job market?" Nearly 80% of job openings are never publicly posted – they’re filled through networks, referrals, and connections. But how can you tap into these hidden opportunities if you don’t have the “right” connections or inside info? 🔹 Start with building genuine relationships. Networking doesn’t have to feel forced! Reach out to people you admire in your field – connect over shared interests, ask thoughtful questions, and find ways to learn from them without asking for a job right away. Authentic relationships often lead to unexpected doors opening. 🔹 Engage on social media (especially LinkedIn). This isn’t just about posting, but about showing up consistently. Comment on industry news, share insights, and be proactive in conversations. It’s one of the easiest ways to put yourself on people’s radar without even having met them. 🔹 Ask for informational interviews. Reach out to someone whose career path you admire and ask for a few minutes of their time. Express genuine curiosity about their work and the company, and often they’ll naturally bring up potential roles or recommend you for upcoming positions. 🔹 Let people know you're looking – but be specific. If you’re open to anything, you’ll likely get… nothing. Clarify your strengths, the type of work you’re passionate about, and the kind of organization you’re targeting. People can only help when they know where you’re trying to go. Finding hidden roles is a mix of patience, persistence, and a little courage. But by building connections and showcasing your value, you’ll tap into opportunities you might have never known existed. #jobsearch #hiddenjobs #networking #jobopening #jobs

99% of job seekers NEVER even open this filter. But one of my clients used it to land a conversation with the hiring manager and ended up skipping the entire recruiting loop. Here’s how it works: She was targeting Chief Marketing Officer roles. Instead of searching job boards, she typed: Chief Marketing Officer AND hiring Then (here’s the key) she hit “All Filters” and used the “Mentioning Company” field. This trims your results down to only posts where someone actually typed the company name in the post. Not just reshared job links. Actual human posts like: "Our team at Company X is hiring a CMO, message me if you’re interested!” This gave her a short list of companies and people to reach out to. She messaged the hiring manager directly, tailored a short note, and landed a call that same week. Lesson: The real job market is hidden in plain sight. Most of your job seeking competitors will never go this deep! :) Hope it helps you find Recruiters & Hiring Managers to land your next job! #HiddenJobMarket #JobSearch #Executives #CSG #LinkedInHack

A client of mine was struggling with job applications. “I’ve applied to 50+ jobs,” they said. “But nothing is working.” I asked, “How many hiring managers have you spoken to?” The answer? 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨. Here’s the reality: 𝟕𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. They’re filled through referrals, networking, and internal promotions. 🔥 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭: ✔️ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲- Engage with decision-makers, not just recruiters. ✔️ 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬- Even a casual “I’d love to learn more about your company” message can lead to an opportunity. ✔️ 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬- Webinars, networking meetups, and even online communities can open doors. ✔️ 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠- If you never talk about your job search, no one knows to refer you! The best jobs are often the ones you don’t see on job boards. Have you ever landed a job through networking? Let’s discuss!