As job hunting has gotten tougher, people get more discouraged when they don’t land a job quickly. As a career counselor, I constantly talk to job hunters and hear about their frustrations.

Recently, Blake called for job search assistance, explaining that he had graduated from college fourteen months ago and still had no job. He said, “I have applied for dozens of jobs, and I get no response. So, what am I doing wrong? Is my resume lousy? I’m so discouraged because I hear nothing back from employers. Rarely do I get a no – I’m just being ghosted.” For more insight on this issue, read my Forbes article Be Careful Of Employers Posting Ghost Jobs.

As new college graduates strive to launch their careers, another group facing significant challenges in securing jobs is comprised of mature workers. Susan, 61, was seeking to land a director-level role. She wanted my help writing her resume and LinkedIn profile, hoping that improving those would open some doors. When I spoke to her, I heard panic in her voice. “I need to work. I must have medical insurance and a salary. I’m very worried that my age is a big obstacle to landing a job now,” Susan stated.

Many mature workers over 60 have recently experienced a roadblock as they look to get hired. Some are in more senior leadership roles, where fewer positions are available. The disappearance of more remote jobs compounds that. This change has forced a person to look in their local region, and for some, there are few opportunities there.

Whether you fall into either of these groups or are a professional between 25 and 55, you may experience the same problem — a stalled job search.

What Is The Hidden Job Market

Effective networking is important to a successful job search. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for tapping into the hidden job market. These are the jobs that you do not know about because they are not advertised on the search board like Indeed.com or even listed on an employer’s website. A job might be hidden for a variety of reasons, such as to limit applications or the hiring manager just decided to hire someone new.

Uncovering a hidden job and pursuing it can give you an edge since there may be far fewer competitors. Discovering a hidden job opening can be what is needed to break out of a stalled job search.

With LinkedIn you can set the stage for discovering hidden jobs by strategically networking and connecting with recruiters and potential hiring managers. From them, you may hear about new opportunities, or they may shoot you a message about a job they have open that is unlisted and that you were unaware of.

To explain the innner workings of what goes on behind the scenes, a hiring manager just had an employee quit, or she’s gotten a budget approval to hire a new person. That job has not been advertised and that manager begins her own networking and search efforts to try to find a good candidate quickly. Soon she’ll discuss it with the recruiter to get the process moving.

How It All Works

Tyler is a 29-year-old product marketing specialist. He had taken my job search class where he learned this strategic technique that dramatically increased his LinkedIn network connections. He actively requests a connection targeting potential hiring managers and recruiters in his industry.

Today Tyler has a LinkedIn network with 5,400 connections. The results of putting in that effort has surprised him. Potential bosses and higher-level managers have sent direct messages through LinkedIn to discuss unadvertised job opportunities. Recruiters have reached out to him. It’s within this hidden job market that Tyler got hired for his last two jobs. Both were excellent, high-paying positions.

Job Search Advantage

The most compelling reason to develop a larger network of connections, including many people you don’t know, is that a bigger network enables you to appear in more search results. Many people say “yes” when asked for a connection because they also want a bigger network. It’s a win-win for both sides. The larger the network, the higher the probability you will tap into the hidden job marketand find out about good job opportunities.

Critical First Step

You will drive a lot of the right people to your LinkedIn Profile. It needs to be complete and impressive. It must be fully optimized with relevant keywords, a professional headline, and an up-to-date work history highlighting your skills, achievements, and career goals. Trying to network with a recruiter or potential manager does no good if you make a poor impression when they come to check you out.

Proactively Identify And Meet Recruiters

Forget passively hoping an employer will find you. Take this into your own hands. Your strategy is to seek out the appropriate recruiters and then connect so that they will see your profile.

When the company’s recruiter accepts the request, they will see the top part of your profile, specifically your headline. This is the most searched part of LinkedIn and must include appropriate job titles, essential keywords, and phrases. My article, How To Write A LinkedIn Headline That Gets You Noticed explains how to create yours effectively.

A little research and using LinkedIn search filters will produce some great results.

Follow These Steps