4 Unconventional Ways to Get Hired, with Yauhan Mehta

If you rely on job boards and your resume to get a job, you need to update your strategy. In a market of thousands of applicants for each position, you have to stand out and search for a job in unconventional ways. Find Your Dream Job guest Yauhan Mehta shares new methods for how to get job offers and maximize your salary. Yauhan stresses the need to develop your personal brand and ways to remain top of mind with hiring managers. If you’re tired of sending in your resume to dozens of openings, Yauhan is here to help you break into the hidden job market. 

About Our Guest:

Yauhan  Mehta is a career coach who helps you stand out, get job offers, and maximize your salary.

Resources in This Episode:

Connect with Yauhan on LinkedIn.

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Episode 469:

4 Unconventional Ways to Get Hired, with Yauhan Mehta

Airdate: September 25, 2024

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I’m your host, Mac Prichard. I’m also the founder of Mac’s List. It’s a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helps you find a fulfilling career.

Every Wednesday, I talk to a different expert about the tools you need to get the work you want.

Ask someone how to find a job, and you’ll often get the same three answers:

Visit job boards.

Go to career fairs.

Apply online.

Each method can work, but everybody else is doing the same thing.

Yauhan Mehta is here to talk about four unconventional ways to get hired.

He’s a career coach who helps you stand out, get job offers, and maximize your salary.

Yauhan joins us from Toronto, Canada.

Well, let’s jump right into it, Yauhan. Many people, when they’re looking for work, look at job boards, go to job fairs, they send out online applications. In your experience as a career coach, do these conventional strategies work?

Yauhan Mehta:

These conventional strategies, Mac, work but only to a certain extent, and I find that these strategies, which are so conventional and so widely used by job seekers, don’t help too much in helping them secure employment in the fastest possible time. It actually slows down the job search process.

Only because everybody else is following these same conventional methods and it is a crowded market where you now have to think about, “What can I do different? How can I be unique in my approach, in my process, to landing employment in the fastest possible time?”

They do work, but they only work to a certain extent, and they don’t work as effectively in an employer’s market, which we have going at the moment.

Mac Prichard:

There’s more competition; it’s an employer’s market, and everybody else is doing the same thing. Why do you think, Yauhan, candidates continue to rely on these conventional methods? What’s going on there?

Yauhan Mehta:

You know, the biggest reason a lot of candidates rely on these methods is because they are not aware of other newer ways of searching for jobs. The job search process has significantly evolved over time, where it’s no longer job boards and your resume, which helps you get interviews and secure employment. There are so many strategies and options now available for job seekers to really strategize their job search, speed up their job search, and really end up with opportunities in their dream roles at companies where their values are aligned with the organization.

Mac Prichard:

We’re going to talk about those unconventional methods in a moment, Yauhan, but I want to ask, are you saying that candidates should stop using these conventional methods altogether, or should they do other things as well?

Yauhan Mehta:

Definitely, looking for jobs on job boards and using your resume are very conventional methods that most people use. I’m not suggesting that you completely stop doing those, but I’m suggesting that the amount of time that you spend every week on these conventional methods.

For example, many job seekers focus only on job boards, and then they miss out on opportunities that are not advertised publicly. Companies often fill these positions through internal referrals and networking before they actually post them online, so the importance, then, of tapping into this hidden job market and building relationships really is what will make you successful.

As opposed to just to just navigating the job boards.

Mac Prichard:

Let’s talk more about those unconventional methods because I know that you feel very strongly about the importance of tapping into the hidden job market and building relationships and you’ve got four tips that we want to walk through today.

The first one for using unconventional methods to get hired is to pay attention to your personal brand when you look for work. Why is this important, Yauhan, to think about your personal brand when you’re doing your job search?

Yauhan Mehta:

A personal brand and a personal branding campaign, Mac, should definitely not be underestimated, especially in today’s market, because it’s a crucial step in helping you get hired without having to heavily rely on job applications. I recommend a couple of steps in order for you to establish and elevate your personal brand.

Number one, you want to define what your personal brand is, so really taking the time to identify your personal skills, trends, values; in other words, essentially, what makes you, you.

The second step, is then taking the time to optimize your online presence. Specifically your LinkedIn profile, as this is typically the first point of contact for hiring managers and recruiters. You want to make sure your profile is complete, professional, and reflective of your personal brand, and your unique value proposition.

You can ask yourself something like, “If my target company was to look at my profile right now, would it read, first, why I’m a great fit for the organization?” And if the answer is no, you want to, then take it one step further.

The other thing that I would recommend is making sure you position yourself as an expert in your field. This is about top leadership in your industry and sharing insightful content on platforms like LinkedIn, which will not only help with your credibility but it really makes you visible to your network and future employers.

Mac Prichard:

In your experience, how much time a week does it take to do this?

Yauhan Mehta:

Initially, it does take quite a bit of time, especially if you don’t have a high degree of self-awareness in terms of your background, trends, values, but once all of that is properly defined and once you’ve come up with a compelling brand statement, along with your unique value proposition, then it’s a matter of really implementing on that.

A LinkedIn profile shouldn’t take you more than a few hours to complete, and once that is done, it’s all about how you leverage your profile and content on your profile, along with networking, to really elevate that brand for yourself.

Mac Prichard:

What would you say, Yauhan, to someone who might think, “Well, this sounds good. I’d like to do this, but I’m not sure how to do it. Especially on my own.” Is this something you can learn to do on your own? This kind of personal branding and thought leadership? What’s been your experience?

Yauhan Mehta:

I would say there are a lot of content-learning courses out there on personal branding that you certainly can look at. However, if you feel an overwhelm with all of the information and sometimes conflicting advice that’s out there, it’s a good practice to work with someone who potentially has created this for themselves and has been successful while doing it.

There are also a lot of personal brand strategists that you can connect with and get some advice, or you can also certainly work with a career coach who can help you with your branding.

Mac Prichard:

In the end, what’s the benefit of paying attention to personal branding? How does that help you in your job search, this unconventional strategy that you’re recommending?

Yauhan Mehta:

Absolutely. In today’s day and age, it’s all about establishing your online presence. Your digital footprint is extremely important to position yourself to increase your visibility, and without this, it becomes very difficult to be discovered by the right people who are influencing hiring decisions.

Mac Prichard:

Terrific.

Let’s take a break. When we come back, Yauhan Mehta is going to continue to walk us through his four unconventional ways to get hired. We’ll be back after this message.

We’re back in the Mac’s List studio. I’m talking with Yauhan Mehta.

He’s a career coach who helps you stand out, get job offers, and maximize your salary.

He joins us from Toronto, Canada.

Now, Yauhan, before the break, we were talking about four unconventional ways to get hired, and we talked about your first strategy, which is to pay attention and promote your personal brand.

Let’s talk about number two on your list of unconventional ways to get hired, and that’s to be visible on social platforms. You touched on this in the first segment, but tell us more about this, Yauhan. Why do employers care about your visibility on social platforms?

Yauhan Mehta:

Your online presence in today’s day and age is your greatest asset, and leveraging online platforms to get noticed by decision-makers is probably the most powerful job search strategy. Now, I’m not recommending going out there and creating YouTube videos or a blog, although if you want to, that’s major bonus points for you.

Instead, focus on more practical, manageable ways where you can really showcase your expertise and get that visibility and get the attention of recruiters, hiring managers, and industry leaders.

Mac Prichard:

Let’s talk about how to do that, but before we do, why is it so important? Why does visibility matter when you’re doing a job search? Tell us, why do employers care about it?

Yauhan Mehta:

Visibility is your greatest asset, Mac because this is how you will stand out compared to the other job seekers who use conventional methods of applications and job boards. Visibility, in today’s day and age, is how you get found by recruiters, as opposed to running behind applications and running behind companies to hire you.

Visibility really is your secret sauce because if you are not visible, it becomes very long and very frustrating for you to go through the job search, and it’s not going to yield results in the time frame that you’re looking for.

I would focus more on thinking about your presence and your visibility and putting that at the forefront of your job search strategy.

Mac Prichard:

What’s the best way to be visible?

Yauhan Mehta:

The best way to be visible is to first and foremost think about where you want to be visible, who you want to be visible for, and what you want to be known for with that audience.

My recommendation is using a platform like LinkedIn that has 90+% of the recruiters and hiring managers actively looking for top talent. Building your visibility on LinkedIn begins with having a complete, professional LinkedIn profile, networking with your target audience, which includes industry leaders, recruiters hiring for your target role, as well as specific hiring managers in your target companies.

Then, building relationships with anyone on the platform who will have an influence on your getting hired.

Mac Prichard:

You mentioned target audiences. Tell us more about that. Why is it important to be clear about who you want to reach and specifically the people that you want to connect with? Why does that matter when you want to be visible during a job search and get the attention of employers?

Yauhan Mehta:

Yeah, so job search is all about being very strategic, but it’s also about being very focused. First and foremost, you need to know what you’re going after in terms of your target role, in terms of the appropriate level for you, and also in terms of a couple of industries and specific companies that you love and would enjoy working for.

Once that’s defined, you really want to think about, who are the key decision-makers and players within those companies that you want to build relationships with. People get jobs because of relationships, not because of your resume or your background, or your experience. It does not matter as much as the relationships that you build with these key stakeholders.

You want to get them to know you. You want to get them to make sure that you’re top of mind for them, and you want to get them to reach out to you when opportunities become available. This is really the secret sauce for a quicker, faster, effective job search.

Mac Prichard:

I’m glad you brought up relationships because that’s on your list of four unconventional ways to get hired. You talk about the importance of building relationships and how they can help you.

Talk more, though, about why relationships matter so much. If a hiring manager, for example, is looking at an application for somebody who has impeccable credentials and meets all of the qualifications, what difference can a relationship make for someone who may know that hiring manager and perhaps only has 80 or 90% of the required qualifications?

Yauhan Mehta:

Building strategic relationships, Mac, is different than just networking. Building relationships is rather about creating genuine conversations and connections that can help propel your career forward. The good part with building relationships is they, more often than not, pay themselves back in dividends over the lifetime of your career.

It may seem long and cumbersome in the beginning, but the return on the investment is really, really great in the long term. Additionally, relationships often lead to opportunities that are never advertised, and this, again, gives you that competitive edge and visibility in the market, and it helps also with making sure that your presence and your credibility is known to people. This can really unlock doors to many new opportunities and career prospects for you.

Mac Prichard:

Well, I want to talk about hidden jobs because tapping the hidden job market is the fourth of your four unconventional ways to get hired.

Before we get there, though, Yauhan, what advice do you have for somebody who wants to build relationships with a target employer but doesn’t know anyone there? How do you get started?

Yauhan Mehta:

I would say you can do three things in order to build strategic relationships.

Number one, you can begin by creating a list of contacts that you want to target, and these can be people, like I mentioned earlier, in your target companies or industries. I would say don’t limit yourself to hiring managers, but you can increase the scope to industry leaders, experts, and recruiters. I would use LinkedIn and the filters available on LinkedIn to find out who these people are, what they care about, and then begin by following and engaging with their content and using that as a leverage point to build that connection and build that initial rapport quickly.

Second step, I would say, is to then take that relationship to the next level, where you request advice and information. Coffee chats, informational interviews are a great way for you to ask them thought-provoking questions and show a genuine interest in them, their role, and their career journey.

The final thing that I would say is that you can also attend events specific to your role and your industry. Whether these are industry-specific events, conferences, webinars. These are excellent opportunities, Mac, to meet and interact with key players in your field and continue building relationships with people outside of your target companies.

Mac Prichard:

Your fourth suggestion for unconventional ways to get hired is to tap into the hidden job market. You touched on this earlier in the segment, Yauhan, but quickly, how do you find and apply for hidden jobs? How do you do that?

Yauhan Mehta:

First and foremost, it’s important to know what the hidden job market is. The hidden job market is a market that has opportunities that are not posted online, that are not visible on job boards. There are many stats out there, Mac, but there are about 70% of opportunities that are hidden and that are not visible to job seekers, and so it becomes really critical for any job seeker to not just understand the hidden job market but to think and strategize about how to access these hidden jobs in the fastest possible way.

Mac Prichard:

How do you do that, Yauhan? You know the market is out there, the jobs aren’t being advertised, what specific steps do you recommend that your clients take?

Yauhan Mehta:

There’s many ways in which you can access the hidden job market.

Number one is connecting with people who would have access to these hidden opportunities. These would be, typically, recruiters, hiring managers, industry experts, external recruiters who are working in agencies who, more often than not, do not post opportunities all the time, and they use their network to source candidates for these opportunities.

You essentially want to start identifying who these people are, connecting with them, building relationships with them, and then making sure that you’re top of mind when an opportunity comes up.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it’s been a terrific conversation, Yauhan. Now, tell us, what’s next for you?

Yauhan Mehta:

What’s next for me, Mac, is continuing to help job seekers, especially in this very competitive job market where people have been struggling for months to secure employment. My passion, my mission, is to help job seekers find employment in the most fastest, effective way, using unconventional methods that I covered today.

Mac Prichard:

Terrific. Well, I know that listeners can learn more about you and your work by connecting with you on LinkedIn and when you do reach out to Yauhan, please mention that you heard him on Find Your Dream Job.

Now, Yauhan, given all of the great advice you’ve shared today, what’s the one thing you want a listener to remember about your unconventional ways to get hired?

Yauhan Mehta:

I would recommend all job seekers to step away from conventional online applications and deploy proactive, creative strategies to get hired faster, and leveraging these unconventional strategies, which include building strategic relationships, building your personal brand, accessing the hidden job market, can really elevate your job search and get you results in the fastest, most effective way.

Mac Prichard:

Next week, our guest will be Janine Esbrand.

She’s a career strategist, an executive coach, and the host of the Career Change Maker Podcast.

You walk into an interview with high hopes.

But as you talk you feel it’s not going well.

And later you learn someone else got the offer.

What could you have done differently?

Join us next Wednesday when Janine Esbrand and I talk about how to show up as the ideal candidate in an interview.

Until next time, thanks for letting us help you find your dream job.

This show is produced by Mac’s List.

Susan Thornton-Hough schedules our guests and writes our newsletter. Lisa Kislingbury Anderson manages our social media.

Our sound engineer and editor is Matt Fiorillo. Dawn Mole creates our transcripts. And our music is by Freddy Trujillo.

This is Mac Prichard. See you next week.