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  3. What is YOUR VIEW of the HIDDEN JOB MARKET? E.g., do you agree that 80% of jobs are NEVER to be posted? In particular, at the EXECUTIVE level.

What is YOUR VIEW of the HIDDEN JOB MARKET? E.g., do you agree that 80% of jobs are NEVER to be posted? In particular, at the EXECUTIVE level.

The "Hidden Job Market" has a few definitions:

  1. Very senior positions that are not posted on a company career webpage. Either the company has hired an external executive recruiter or is searching internally before posting the position.
  2. Positions that are not yet created but the company may be thinking about. The company may be planning a reorganization or want to bring in new talent for a future strategy. 
  3. Positions whereby somebody has resigned, yet the company has not prepared for a replacement yet.
  4. In very rare cases, a company may meet you and feel compelled to open a new position to bring you on board. 

In today's market, I don't agree that % is as high as 80%. My estimate, based on speaking with top recruiters and executive recruiters and CEOs, is that the number is well below 20% and reserved for very senior executive positions.

My recommendation is to focus on posted positions first to secure interviews, network, and get a foot in the door.