How to Not Find a Job
Want to know a secret to landing your next role? Hint: it’s not just about online job boards!
This post originally appeared in the VFA Monthly on LinkedIn.
There’s an intriguing perspective from the book “Designing Your Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans that might just change how we view job hunting.
For most people, the first place to turn is typically online job boards and listings, perhaps LinkedIn job posts.
While this can be a great place to get ideas, the reality is that relying too heavily on what’s posted online might mean missing out on some of the best options out there.
Today, a significant number of great opportunities, especially those that fall into what you might call the “dream job” category, never make it to public listings or job boards. This includes exciting roles at ground-breaking startups or companies that could potentially be the next big thing.
These companies often lack extensive HR departments and don’t frequently post jobs online. Rather, many of them seek candidates first through their own networks and those of close friends or colleagues.
Often, they’re also looking for the person first — that is, they’re looking for smart, driven talent that can take on a number of different responsibilities — and will often adjust the definition of the role to match the talent they find.
As a result, many critical early roles never make it to posted job descriptions.
Even large corporations tend to advertise their most enticing opportunities internally first, rendering them invisible to the average job seeker. A decent number of positions aren’t even listed until attempts have been made to fill them through word of mouth or social networks.
In the United States, for example, only 20% of all jobs available get posted on the internet or anywhere else that’s publicly visible. This implies that four out of five jobs aren’t accessible through the standard model of job hunting.
This trend is even more pronounced in many African markets, where informal networks play a significant role in employment.
In Africa, a large portion of job opportunities arise through informal networks, word-of-mouth referrals, and community connections, making them less visible through traditional job search channels.
As a result, relying solely on online job postings may significantly limit your access to employment opportunities on the continent.
So, next time you’re job hunting, remember there’s a whole world of opportunities out there that aren’t just a click away. It is important to broaden your horizons and explore different avenues to find your next big opportunity.
That’s where Venture for Africa can help!
Over the past decade or so working in the African tech ecosystem, the team at VFA has built strong relationships and networks with founders and potential founders and has seen how hiring has played out.
This gives them insight into hiring needs even before they become actual job descriptions.
If you’re considering broadening your career options, VFA could be your ideal partner.
We have unique insights into the needs of founders and teams within our network, which allows us to identify potential opportunities for our community of talent — often before they are posted more broadly.
We also provide a ‘trial-to-hire’ experience, where you can work part-time with our startup partners for a three-month period before deciding on a full-time commitment.
Remember, many exceptional startup opportunities aren’t typically found on conventional job boards, and those that are often have low response rates.
However, with VFA’s extensive connections within the startup ecosystem, we’re committed to helping you unearth and secure these hidden opportunities 🚀
