Day 17 of 28 · AI Job Hunt
Finding Hidden Jobs
⏱ 5 min
📊 Beginner
Here's a stat that changes everything: up to 70% of jobs are never posted publicly. They're filled through internal referrals, recruiter networks, or direct outreach before they ever hit a job board.
That means if you're only applying to posted jobs, you're competing for 30% of the market — the most competitive 30%. Today, you'll learn AI research techniques to tap into the other 70%.
80% of jobs are never posted. Here's how to find them.
Where hidden jobs live
Hidden jobs exist in predictable places:
Company career pages — Some companies post roles on their own site weeks before they hit LinkedIn or Indeed. Set up alerts on 20-30 target company career pages.
Recruiter networks — Recruiters fill roles before they're public. Being on their radar means you hear about opportunities first.
Hiring manager LinkedIn activity — When someone posts "excited to be growing the team" or "looking for my next hire," the req is open but might not be listed yet.
Company growth signals — New funding rounds, product launches, and office expansions all signal imminent hiring. These roles often haven't been posted yet.
Internal referrals — The #1 way hidden jobs get filled. Someone inside the company recommends a candidate before the role is even posted publicly.
Knowledge Check
What percentage of jobs are estimated to be filled without ever being posted publicly?
D
Up to 70% — most jobs are filled through referrals, recruiter networks, and direct outreach
The hidden job market is massive. That doesn't mean posted jobs aren't worth applying to — they absolutely are. But if you're ONLY looking at job boards, you're missing the majority of opportunities. The strategies you learn today open up that hidden 70%.
I'm targeting Product Marketing Manager roles at growth-stage B2B SaaS companies. Help me identify signals that a company is about to hire for this role — even if the job isn't posted yet. What should I look for?
Here are the signals that predict an imminent PMM hire:
**Funding signals:**
- Recently raised Series B or C (marketing team typically scales here)
- "We're using this round to invest in go-to-market" in the funding announcement
**Product signals:**
- Launching a new product line or entering a new market
- Announced a major feature that needs positioning
- Moving upmarket (SMB → Enterprise) — requires new messaging
**Team signals:**
- VP of Marketing hired recently (they'll build their team)
- Current PMM just left (check LinkedIn job changes)
- Job posts for adjacent roles (demand gen, content) but no PMM yet
**Content signals:**
- Company blog has gone quiet (no one to write it)
- Product launches with weak messaging (they need help)
- Founder posting about challenges scaling marketing
**How to monitor:**
1. Follow 30 target companies on LinkedIn
2. Set Google Alerts for "[Company] + hiring + marketing"
3. Check Crunchbase weekly for new funding rounds
4. Monitor LinkedIn for VP/Director of Marketing hires at target companies
When you spot these signals, reach out directly. "I noticed you just raised your Series B and are expanding into enterprise — I've done exactly this kind of go-to-market work. Let's talk."
↻ Replay conversation
The proactive outreach strategy
Don't wait for jobs to come to you. Here's how to create opportunities:
Strategy 1: The value-first email. Identify a company with clear marketing challenges. Write a brief analysis of one issue and how you'd solve it. Send it to the VP of Marketing with: "I put together some thoughts on [challenge]. No strings attached — just thought it might be useful. If you're ever looking for someone to own this, I'd love to talk."
Strategy 2: The warm intro path. Search LinkedIn for second-degree connections at target companies. Ask your mutual connection for an introduction. A warm intro is 10x more effective than a cold message.
Strategy 3: The recruiter relationship. Connect with 10-15 recruiters who specialize in your target roles. Send them your resume with a clear brief: "I'm looking for [specific role] at [type of company] in [location/remote]. Here's what makes me a strong candidate: [3 bullet points]."
Knowledge Check
Why is the "value-first email" strategy effective?
A
Because VPs always read their email
B
Because free work impresses everyone
C
Because it demonstrates your skills before asking for anything — you're proving you can do the job instead of just claiming it on a resume
A value-first email does something no resume can: it shows your work, not just your claims. When a VP of Marketing sees a thoughtful analysis of their actual challenges, they think "this person already understands our problems." That's worth more than years of experience listed on a page.
Building your hidden job radar
Set up a weekly 30-minute routine to monitor the hidden job market:
Every Monday:
1. Check Crunchbase for new funding in your target sector (5 min)
2. Review LinkedIn feed for hiring signals at target companies (5 min)
3. Check career pages of your top 10 companies (10 min)
4. Send 3-5 proactive outreach messages based on signals (10 min)
This 30-minute routine surfaces opportunities that never hit job boards. Over 4-6 weeks, it builds a pipeline of warm conversations that lead to interviews and offers.
Final Check
What's the most reliable signal that a company will hire for a marketing role soon?
A
They changed their company logo
B
They posted a job for a different marketing role
C
Their stock price went up
D
They recently raised funding AND announced plans to invest in go-to-market — funding + GTM intent almost always means marketing hires
Funding plus stated go-to-market investment is the strongest signal. Companies that just raised a round and specifically mention GTM in their announcement will almost certainly hire marketing people in the next 3-6 months. If you reach out now, you're ahead of every candidate who waits for the posting.
🕵️
Day 17 Complete
"70% of jobs are never posted. The people who land them aren't luckier — they're just looking in places most candidates don't think to check."
Tomorrow — Day 18
Mastering Common Interview Questions
Tomorrow you'll prepare answers so strong that interviewers think you rehearsed for a week.