How to Find Hidden Job Openings

Most job seekers waste time scrolling LinkedIn and Indeed, competing with hundreds of applicants for the same posted roles. Meanwhile, the best opportunities never see the light of day:

• 80% of job openings are never posted online
  • 85% of jobs are filled through networking and personal connections
    • 70% of people landed their current job through networking
      • 40% of all hires come from employee referrals (despite being just 7% of applicants)
        
        If you're only applying to posted jobs, you're missing 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Companies don't hide jobs to be secretive. They do it because:

1. Posting jobs is expensive and time-consuming
Job boards charge hundreds or thousands of dollars per listing. Sorting through 300+ unqualified applicants wastes HR's time.

2. Referrals are safer
Hiring someone vouched for by a trusted employee reduces risk. They're pre-vetted, culturally aligned, and more likely to succeed.

3. Roles are created for specific people
Sometimes a manager meets someone impressive and creates a position for them. Or an employee leaves, and leadership promotes from within before posting externally.

4. Speed matters
When a critical role opens, companies ask "Who do we know?" first. By the time they post it publicly, they may already have a candidate in mind.

The hidden job market isn't a conspiracy—it's efficiency.

Your network is bigger than you think. Start here:

Friends and family
Text 10 people right now: "Hey! I'm exploring [type of role] opportunities at [type of company]. Do you know anyone in that field I could chat with?"
Don't ask for a job. Ask for a conversation.

Former colleagues
Reach out to people you worked with 2, 5, or 10 years ago. People love helping people they've worked with before.
Message template:
"Hi [Name], hope you're doing well! I'm currently exploring [role] opportunities and would love to hear about your experience at [company]. Any chance you'd have 15 minutes for a quick call?"

Alumni networks
Your college or grad school has a directory. Filter by industry and location. Alumni love helping fellow grads.

LinkedIn 2nd-degree connections
Search for roles you want, see who works there, and check for mutual connections. Ask your connection for a warm intro.

Cold outreach (yes, it works)
Find people in your target companies on LinkedIn. Send a personalized message:
"Hi [Name], I've been following [Company]'s work on [specific project/initiative]. I'm a [your role] with experience in [relevant skill]. I'd love to learn more about your experience there—would you be open to a brief chat?"

80% won't respond. But 20% will—and that's all you need.

Don't wait for job postings. Proactively target companies.

Make a target list of 20-30 companies
Ask yourself:

• Where do people with my skills thrive?
  • Which companies are growing fast?
    • Where would I genuinely be excited to work?
      
      Follow their career pages (not job boards)
      Some companies post openings on their site days or weeks before they hit LinkedIn. Set up alerts.
      
      Reach out to hiring managers directly
      Find the hiring manager for your target role (LinkedIn search or company org charts). Email them:
      "Hi [Name], I'm a [your role] with [X years] of experience in [relevant area]. I noticed [Company] is expanding into [specific initiative]. I'd love to explore how my background in [skill] could support your team. Are you open to a brief conversation?"
      
      Offer value first
      Instead of asking for a job, share insights:
      "I recently read about your [product/initiative]. I've worked on similar projects at [Company], and here's what we learned: [1-2 sentences]. Happy to share more if it's helpful."
      
      People remember those who add value.

Hidden jobs are shared in communities, not on job boards.

Join industry Slack groups, Discord servers, or forums
Communities exist for:

• Tech: Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, dev communities
  • Marketing: GrowthHackers, marketing Slack groups
    • Design: Designer Hangout, Dribbble communities
      • Remote work: RemoteWoman, We Work Remotely forums
        
        Lurk for a week. Then engage. Answer questions. Share insights. Build relationships.
        
        Attend conferences and meetups
        95% of professionals say face-to-face interactions are essential for business relationships. In-person networking is 24% more effective at acquiring customers (or jobs).
        Go to:
        • Industry conferences (even virtually)
          • Local meetups (Meetup.com, Eventbrite)
            • Webinars where you can ask questions in Q&A
              
              Engage on LinkedIn (the right way)
              Comment on posts from people at your target companies. Share thoughtful takes. Tag relevant people. Be helpful, not salesy.
              Within weeks, you'll be on their radar.
              
              Volunteer or freelance
              Offer to help on small projects. It's a backdoor to full-time roles. Many companies hire contractors they've worked with before.

Recruiters have access to unadvertised roles. But you need to approach them right.

Find specialized recruiters
Don't use generic staffing agencies. Find recruiters who focus on your niche (e.g., "fintech product manager recruiter").

Make it easy for them to help you
Send a crisp intro:
"Hi [Name], I'm a [role] with [X years] in [industry]. I'm targeting [type of role] at [type of company]. Here's my resume: [link]. Happy to chat if you have relevant opportunities."

Stay top of mind
Check in every 4-6 weeks. Recruiters work fast—if they don't have something now, they might next month.

The best time to job search is before you need a job. Plant seeds now.

Optimize your LinkedIn profile
Use keywords from your target job descriptions. Recruiters search for these terms daily.
Turn on "Open to Work" (visible to recruiters only).

Publish content
Write about your expertise:

• LinkedIn posts
  • Medium articles
    • Twitter threads
      • YouTube videos
        
        People hire people they've learned from.
        
        Build a portfolio or personal site
        Even non-designers benefit from a simple site showcasing your work, case studies, or projects.
        
        Stay visible
        Engage regularly. Comment on posts. Share insights. Be helpful. When opportunities arise, people will think of you.

Here's a realistic weekly plan:

Monday (1 hour): Reach out to 5 people in your network or cold contacts
Tuesday (1 hour): Engage in 2-3 online communities (comment, share, help)
Wednesday (30 min): Research 3 target companies and follow their career pages
Thursday (1 hour): Attend a virtual event or meetup
Friday (30 min): Update LinkedIn, publish a post, or refine your portfolio

Total: 4 hours/week. That's it. Consistency beats intensity.

Software engineer: Contributed to an open-source project. Maintainer worked at a startup. They hired him before posting the role.

Marketing manager: Commented thoughtfully on a VP's LinkedIn posts for 3 months. VP messaged her when a role opened.

Product designer: Attended a virtual design conference. Met a hiring manager in a breakout room. Had coffee chats. Got hired 6 weeks later.

Data analyst: Reached out to 30 alumni on LinkedIn. One introduced her to their team. Hired without a formal interview process.

These aren't luck. They're strategy.