Staying under the radar is costing you job opportunities
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Imagine you’re an executive at a major Hollywood studio. You’re meeting with two producers you’ve worked with before. They’re pitching a screenplay set in 1870s Oregon about unrequited love. Your interest is piqued. As you skim through the script, you ask, “Any thoughts on who should lead this? Pitt? Hemsworth? Butler? Pascal?”
“I can see DiCaprio playing Heathcliff,” one producer replies. “His preparation for Hugh Glass in The Revenant speaks volumes about his work ethic.” You nod in agreement.
“Who do you see for Ellen? I’m thinking Blunt.”
The meeting continues, names tossed around based on reputation and fit.
Success in Hollywood, much like the corporate world, depends on more than just talent. It requires:
- A high level of self-confidence
- Strong work ethic
- Perseverance
- Thick skin
- Patience
 The hidden job market is bigger than ever, and visibility is key. |
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… and most importantly, connections. Who you know—and who knows you—determines your success in an industry where careers are built on exposure. As I’ve mentioned before, opportunities are all around you; the caveat is that they’re attached to people. That’s why visibility and opportunity go hand in hand.
Visibility = Opportunities
Being the “best-kept secret” won’t get you anywhere. Yet, despite all the digital tools available for self-promotion—social media, blogging, personal websites—most job seekers remain under the radar, leading to unnecessarily long job searches.
This dynamic isn’t unique to Hollywood—it’s the same in corporate boardrooms. A recent example is Starbucks’s slipping sales, which sent its board searching for a saviour, someone known in the food and beverage industry for turning things around. Starbucks chair Mellody Hobson reached out to Brian Niccol and, I’m sure, a few others.
I’ve witnessed such discussions firsthand:
“We need fresh blood heading up marketing. I hear Bob Cruller at Kirkland & Haywood is looking for a change.”
“Missed drop deadlines by our vendors are hampering our production schedule. Does anyone know someone we can parachute in to address this?”
“Gerald told me last night he’s retiring at the end of Q3. It so happens that the CFO at Soylent Corp, Norm Peterson, didn’t survive last month’s acquisition by Cyberdyne Systems. We should give Norm a call.”
And with AI changing the job search landscape—not for the better—these “Who do you know?” conversations are becoming even more frequent. Many job seekers no longer read job postings. Instead, they use application bots to blast out résumés 24/7, believing that throwing spaghetti at the wall until something sticks is a winning strategy.
Employers and recruiters, overwhelmed by this influx of spray-and-pray applications, are responding accordingly. Many have given up advertising job openings entirely and are instead proactively reaching out to potential candidates. The hidden job market isn’t just alive and well—it’s growing exponentially.
I’ve seen this firsthand. My last three jobs? None of them were advertised. I was either found or, as one HR manager put it, “Your name came up.”
Early in my career, I noticed that promotions went to those who were vocal about their work—and, more importantly, visible to upper management. These are the employees being referenced when you’re told, “We decided to go with someone internally,” a phrase you’ve likely heard at least once. While many of my colleagues resented those who knew how to climb the corporate ladder, I didn’t. Instead, I made a decision:
I would overcome what holds most people back from putting themselves out there—the fear of judgment.
What transformed my career wasn’t having a stellar résumé, writing compelling cover letters, or perfecting my LinkedIn profile. It wasn’t about charisma in interviews or networking like a rock star.
It was breaking free from my comfort zone—the addiction to staying small, under the radar, hoping my work (read: results) spoke for itself.
My observations—ones I’m sure you’ve also had—taught me a hard truth about career management: if I wanted to attract opportunities, I needed to be visible.
With so much competition in today’s job market, savvy job seekers use social media’s unprecedented ability to broadcast who they are and what they do. LinkedIn is a game-changer—those who consistently share professional achievements, engage with industry leaders, and build their networks are the ones getting noticed. Beyond LinkedIn, they write articles, appear on podcasts, speak at conferences—anything that exposes their expertise to potential employers and industry peers.
Traditionally, job seekers viewed applications as a numbers game. That strategy is obsolete.
With the job market jam-packed with active and passive candidates, if you’re not visible, you’re invisible. Period. This is especially true if you’re targeting top jobs at top companies, where competition is fierce.
So ask yourself: “What can I do so my name gets mentioned when opportunities arise?”
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job.
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