Many of Australia’s electrician employment opportunities won’t be advertised. That means if you’re looking for a job as an electrician, you might need to get proactive to access more vacancies. In this article, we’ll learn about the hidden job market and how it applies to electricians.
What is the hidden job market?
The term ‘hidden job market’ describes all jobs filled without advertisements. Estimates suggest that the hidden job market comprises about 70% of all jobs in Australia. So, the jobs you see advertised online or in newspapers are only 30% of the jobs out there.
These so-called ‘hidden’ jobs come from various sources. Employers find staff through word of mouth. They may keep records of people who contact them looking for work. Hidden jobs may also be internal promotions.
In the electrical industry, electrician employment opportunities often present in the following ways.
Promotions from labour hire
Many electrician employment opportunities come through labour hire. It’s the nature of the industry that some electricians find temporary contracts through
labour-hire. Short-term construction projects, for example, often create a short-term demand for electricians. Under this employment model, the
labour-hire company pays your wages, but you work for the host employer (who reimburses the labour-hire company for your wages).
In a lot of cases, temporary contracts turn into permanent positions, especially if you perform well and impress the host employer. These jobs are never advertised, so you may miss out unless you explore labour-hire as an option.
Word of mouth
In any trade industry, word of mouth makes up a huge portion of the job market. People in the electrical services industry often know each other, and plenty of employee movement occurs through simple word of mouth. Word of mouth is a major part of the hidden job market because, once again, this group of jobs is never advertised.
Keeping your ear to the ground and maintaining good relationships in your industry are great ways to find word-of-mouth jobs. If you’re
looking for work, don’t be afraid to let your professional network know.
Direct hiring
One of the common ways that many people find employment is by approaching employers directly. Even if an employer doesn’t have any job vacancies at the moment, they may in the future. So, by delivering your resume directly to the employers you want to work for, you give yourself a chance. The employer will likely keep a record of qualified applicants and call them directly when a job comes up.
There’s a common misconception that employers simply file resumes away in a drawer, never to be seen again. But recruitment costs time and money. Employers can avoid these costs by hanging onto resumes just like yours. It’s why many employers have a ‘work with us’ section on their website – it’s the digital version of ‘dropping off your resume’.
If you’re a
qualified electrician looking for a job, Supply Workforce can help you find more opportunities.
Contact us today for more information.
