Remember the old adage, 'It's not what you know. It's who you know.' There's still some truth to it when finding your way into the hidden job market. It is important to build networks and maintain them.

Choice Books has published a book by Pauline Charleston, 'Tap the Hidden Job Market' (available for loan from Student Services). This book argues that employment experts in Australia, the US and UK are regularly quoted as measuring the size of the hidden job market at between 65% and 90% of job appointments.

So how do you access all these unadvertised positions? You need to let your friends, family and aquaintances know you are looking for a job, including people you went to school with, people you play sport with, local dentists and doctors etc. - and you will have a huge network of people who can help you find a job. You also need to research the industry you are interested in, and use a strategy to make approaches to hiring managers.

'Information Interviewing' is a great technique to use (pick up a handout from Student Services or look in the 'articles' section on Careerboard). You can ask a general question like 'I have been referred by so and so and I am trying to find out what my marketability is in an organisation like yours'. Use the technique to genuinely understand what you need to do to improve your marketability and in that process you will make contact with people and you could get the job you want.