Remember the old joke about the little boy whose parents took him to a psychiatrist because they worried he was too optimistic? The psychiatrist took him into a room piled high with horse manure. Instead of recoiling, the boy ran to the pile and began digging frantically.

His reason: “So much manure. There must be a pony in here somewhere.”

You have to dig to find hidden job opportunities.

If you’ve confined your job search to job boards, classified listings, career fairs, or agencies, you’re shopping for what’s on the shelf, not what’s hidden.

You also won’t find jobs that fit you by confining your search to titles like: Entry level marketing specialist, Computer programmer, or Accounting associate.

When you don’t know what you’re really after, you end up in the search line with everyone else, hoping you’ll get lucky.

To find the right job, target the right industry.

A great job is not about the title. It’s about work that fits your talents and interests. Every business is part of an industry, enterprises engaged in the production goods and services like pharmaceuticals, education, apparel, or entertainment.

Each business supporting an industry does unique work that is often unknown to us.

That means, if you want to tap into the hidden job market, you need to do some sleuthing, Sherlock Holmes style.

Businesses in every industry faces competitive issues.

For starters, you need to know what’s ailing the businesses you want to work for. Here’s how to start unearthing those challenges:

• Follow them and their industry in business publications, like the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Inc.
• Follow them on social media (Facebook and Twitter)
• Follow their competition
• Set up Google alerts for each company/industry. Examine what you find
• Study their websites for what is and isn’t said about their performance

Draw conclusions about what their issues are in areas like:

• Customer relationships
• Financial performance
• Process efficiency
• Marketing strategies
• Employee satisfaction
• Technology applications

Turn over the rocks! Reveal what’s underneath.

By now, you’ll know what their big picture needs are. You’ll also know how you can help meet those needs. Now, frame your plan:

Identify a specific, targeted need that you can help them improve like:

• Expanding market reach through social media
• Reducing specific production errors by upgrading software
• Improving employee awareness of buyers’ habits
• Providing oversight on new financial regulations

Present yourself. Get known.

Identify someone to talk to in that business who’s facing the needs you identified.

Contact them by phone or written correspondence (since this stands out more than another e-mail his his/her mailbox).

Identify the issue that you have been looking at and frame it in a way that fits your talents. For example: say,

“I have been following XYZ issue in your industry for the past 3 months and would appreciate the opportunity to get your perspective. I would like to talk with you (pick one):

• In preparation for a blog post that I will be writing
• As an expert resource for an article I’m freelancing
• For a paper I’m writing for my college class
• To get a broader understanding of the issue
• To test my perceptions about a potential “fix”

After each meeting, agree on how you will remain in contact. Do what it takes to keep the conversation going without being overbearing.

Eventually, you will find the right opportunity to state your interest in working for that company, using the expertise that you’ve been demonstrating.

Good jobs remain hidden until you find them.

If something’s worth having, it’s worth working for. Getting the really good jobs are about preparation and readiness, not luck. That’s why being business fit makes for a satisfying and long career. Now, let’s see what you’ve got!

What did you do to pierce the hidden job market? Got at a trick to share?