Most job offers are never published. A career coach proposes the 10/10 rule to enter the 'hidden market' and avoid the filter of automated systems.
Sending out a hundred resumes and receiving only silence or automated responses is becoming an increasingly common experience. According to American coach Beth Hendler-Grunt, founder of Next Great Step, that strategy is doomed to fail because most positions never make it to job portals. They are filled through contacts, referrals, and internal conversations. This is known as the hidden job market.
Hendler-Grunt explains it bluntly: “People hire people, not a job board, nor a candidate tracking system, nor AI, even if it may seem that way.” In the face of automated systems that filter resumes by keywords, the only way is to build human relationships.
What is the hidden job market and how does it work
The concept is simple yet powerful. A large part of vacancies are resolved before they are officially published. Companies first turn to their internal network of contacts, employee recommendations, or candidates who have proactively shown interest. Entering that circuit does not depend on having the perfect resume, but on connecting with people who are already inside the target organizations.
The coach points out that many recent graduates or young people looking for their first job feel hesitant to contact strangers. “Many students are very afraid and intimidated to reach out to alumni or people they don’t know,” she acknowledges. However, she assures that the willingness to help appears when one presents themselves prepared and with a clear plan.
The first contact can be an email or an invitation via LinkedIn. The key is to open with some common ground, show curiosity about the other’s background, briefly mention one’s own skills, and request a fifteen-minute chat. Alumni networks from universities are a good starting point.
“It’s not just about saying: 'Hi, do you have any jobs for me?' That’s like proposing marriage on the first date,” Hendler-Grunt compares.
The 10/10 Rule: A Roadmap for Building Contacts
To put this strategy into practice, the coach proposes the 10/10 rule. The first step is to make a list of ten companies that are genuinely interesting. The second is to identify ten people who work in those companies in the position one aspires to and write to them. It’s not about asking for a job directly, but about starting a conversation.
To close the chat, Hendler-Grunt suggests leaving questions on the table: Do you have any advice for entering the sector or the company? Do you recommend any professional organization or networking group? Would you be willing to stay in touch? Is there anyone else worth talking to that you could introduce me to?
There lies the mechanism that almost grows the network by itself: “One person connects you with another and suddenly, you have your own network of contacts,” she explains. That is, nothing more and nothing less, the hidden job market.
Why Sending Hundreds of CVs No Longer Works
When starting a career, almost no one has an exceptional skill that sets them apart. In a pile of identical resumes, what tips the balance is not sending more, but weaving the connections that open doors that public notices do not show. Moreover, the context does not help: according to LinkedIn data cited by CNBC, between December 2025 and February 2026, the hiring rate for entry-level workers in the United States fell by 6% compared to the same period the previous year.
Experts point out that positions requiring less experience are being filled with artificial intelligence, while vacant roles demand years of experience. This explains why younger individuals are increasingly struggling to occupy that first rung.
Taking Care of Mental Health During the Job Search
A prolonged job search is exhausting. Jen DeLorenzo, founder of The Career Raven, confirms this with her clients: “Those who were used to getting jobs in one or two months now have to wait between six months and over a year just to secure a handful of interviews.” She herself has been laid off four times in her career and warns about the link between self-esteem and employment: “Many of us link our personal worth to work.”
To avoid burnout, she recommends establishing job search routines with time limits, celebrating small achievements, and maintaining activities outside of work that bring satisfaction. Patience and strategy, combined, can make a difference.
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