When looking for work, or a new job, probably the first thing most people do is reach for the classified advertising section of the newspaper, or log on to a job search website.

What may surprise many people though is that there are other, possibly better, ways of finding work.

Just about every recruiter I have spoken to says only about a quarter, to possibly a third, of jobs are ever advertised publicly.

And while these figures vary, no matter how you look at them, there is no doubting that the vast majority of jobs never reach newspaper classifieds, or your favourite job search website.

So just how are all of these apparently “invisible” jobs filled then?

Many roles are only ever advertised internally, within a company. Some are advertised in publications exclusive to certain professions, such as medical journals for example. Others are filled through networks, word of mouth, and people “knocking on the door” of a workplace enquiring about job opportunities.

The last method, where people knock on the door as it were, or make a direct expression of interest in working for a particular company, was, I discovered, especially widespread in the Web/IT industry several years ago.

In fact companies were receiving so many expressions of interest from people keen to work for them, that some spent very little money advertising job vacancies as a result!

This method of hiring also applies to other industries though, and you may have noticed a number of companies on the “work for us”, or “employment opportunities” pages of their websites often state they are interested in hearing from people who would like to work for them.

While they may not necessarily have a suitable role vacant at the time someone makes an enquiry, if an employer is sufficiently interested in someone they will stay in contact with them until a role emerges.

It is also not unknown for companies to create roles for people who they have been especially impressed with, lest someone else hires them!

And this way of finding work can be particularly useful for career changers, or those with limited experience in the field in which they would like to work.

Making an expression of interest in working for a company is not the same as directly applying for an advertised role. Here there is a far greater expectation that applicants will have the required qualifications and experience, and those whose applications are not up to spec will most likely be discounted.

Applying for a role that you are not completely suitable for, in the hope of “getting a foot in the door”, is a ploy that could backfire though. And spell the end of any future prospects of finding work with that particular organisation.

Making a direct approach, or indicating a desire to work for a particular company however, allows you to introduce yourself a little more subtly to an employer. This gives you the opportunity to set out your circumstances, outline the reasons for your career change, and explain how you think you can be of value to the company.

By additionally building up some rapport and a relationship with the recruiting office of the company, you can continue to “market” yourself, and remain utmost in the minds of those you have been in contact with.

So don’t wait for possibilities to appear in the classifieds, rather get proactive, and start searching for work opportunities.

Tomorrow, in the second part of this article, I will outline some strategies for making an expression of interest, and also for developing relationships, with companies you would like to work for.