Business English - The Hidden Job Market: Uncovering Unadvertised Opportunities

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! (Warm-up)

Think about this: Are all jobs shown online for everyone to see? Why do some companies not tell everyone about their open jobs? How can we find these 'secret' jobs?

Activity 2: New Words (Vocabulary)

Here are some new English words. These words will help us talk about finding jobs that are not advertised.

Leads: Information or hints about possible job openings that you might hear about.

Example: Talking to people can give you good job leads.

Network (verb): To talk with people to make work connections that can help you.

Example: You should network with people in jobs you like to find opportunities.

Tip: A single piece of good advice or useful news about a job or company.

Example: A friend might give you a helpful tip about a company that is hiring new people.

Inquiry: An act of asking questions to learn more information about a job, company, or industry.

Example: You can make an inquiry at a company to find out more details about what they do.

Approach (verb): To contact or speak to a company or person directly to show your interest, often about jobs.

Example: You can approach companies you like to ask if they have any job news.

Research (noun): The act of finding out facts and details about a company before you contact them.

Example: Always do some research online before you talk to a company about jobs.

Activity 3 (Reading)

Let's read about Tom. He is looking for a job as a helper in a bakery and finds a job that wasn't advertised.

Tom was looking for a job as a helper in a bakery. He looked on job websites but didn't find many good job leads in his town. His friend told him that some jobs are not advertised online. To find these jobs, Tom decided he needed to network more. He talked to his old teacher, Ms. Ana, because she knew many local business owners. Ms. Ana thought Tom was a reliable person.

So, Ms. Ana gave Tom a useful tip. She told him that her friend owned a small bakery called 'Sweet Treats' and might need a new helper soon. Before doing anything else, Tom did some **research** about 'Sweet Treats'. He looked at their website to learn about the kinds of cakes and bread they made. Then, Tom decided to **approach** the bakery directly. He went into 'Sweet Treats' and politely made an **inquiry** with the owner about any job openings. The owner was impressed that Tom came in and showed such interest. Even though 'Sweet Treats' didn't have a job posted anywhere, the owner had been thinking about hiring someone. Because Tom took the step to approach them, and because Ms. Ana gave a good tip, Tom got an interview! He learned that finding a job sometimes means looking in ways other than just online ads.

Think about the story:

Why did Tom decide he needed to network to find job leads?
What tip did Ms. Ana give Tom, and what research did Tom do after getting the tip?
How did Tom approach 'Sweet Treats', and what kind of inquiry did he make?

Activity 4: Role Play

Read this dialogue with a partner. One person is Maria (who is looking for a job), and the other is David (her friend who is giving advice).

Maria: David, I'm finding it hard to get job leads just from looking online. What else can I do?

David: Hi Maria! Many good jobs aren't advertised. You need to network. Talk to people you know.

Maria: What if they don't know of any jobs right now?

David: They might give you a **tip** about a company or someone to talk to. Or you can make an **inquiry** at a company you like, just to learn more about them.

Maria: Make an **inquiry**? You mean just ask them questions about their work?

David: Yes, it's a good way to learn. And sometimes, you might just want to **approach** a company directly, even if they don't have a job ad posted online.

Maria: So, I could just call them or send an email to show I'm interested?

David: Exactly! But before you do that, make sure you do some **research** about the company. Knowing something about them always helps.

Maria: So, doing good **research** and then deciding how to **approach** them is important?

David: Yes, those steps, along with trying to **network** and following up on any **tip** or **leads** you get, will really help you find those hidden jobs.

After reading, discuss: What kind of research could Maria do about a company before she decides to approach them?

Activity 5: Let's Practice

Objective: Practice using the new vocabulary about finding jobs that are not advertised.

Scenario: John (the learner) is talking to his aunt, Sue, about his job search.

Sue: Hi John! How is the job hunt going? Are you finding many good job online?

John: Not many, Aunt Sue. It's a bit slow. I wish I knew how to find jobs that aren't posted everywhere.

Sue: Well, a good way to find those is to with people. Talk to friends, family, anyone who might know something.

John: That's a good idea. What if they don't know of a job but know someone at a company I like?

Sue: They might give you a good on who to talk to or what the company is looking for. Sometimes people get jobs that way.

John: What if I want to learn about a company, but I'm not ready to ask for a job yet? Can I just ask them questions?

Sue: Yes, you can make an to learn more. It shows you are interested and want to understand their business.

John: And if I really like a company, can I just contact them even if they don't have a job ad up?

Sue: Definitely! You can them politely. But always do your homework first.

John: You mean I should do some about what the company does before I contact them, right?

Try to fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases from this lesson!