Hunting for a new job invariably means hitting up search sites, tapping your network, and beefing up your LinkedIn profile. There’s another medium that might be useful, though: company-specific talent communities.


Some companies have forums to network and keep up with job seekers. When you join these talent communities, you’ll get updates on job postings, along with insider news and access to forums or online chats.


You’ve probably encountered these communities if you’ve applied with a big company and they ask you to register and submit your resume through their website. However, if you’re searching for a job, it may help to be proactive and sign up, anyway. If the company likes your profile, they may reach out to you for an interview.

Via Next Avenue, here’s how the talent community at Zappos works, for example:

“Zappos Insiders are simply people who might want to work for Zappos someday… now, tomorrow or sometime down the road. It’s like a special membership for people who want to stay in touch with us, learn more about our fun, zany culture, know what’s happening at our company, get special insider perspectives and receive team-specific updates from the areas you’re most interested in. There is no better way to stay in-the-know and for us to get to know each other than by becoming an Insider.”


These forums are useful for learning more about a company and its culture, but you’re also networking and boosting your chances of a referral. To find these communities, you can simply browse the “career” section of company sites. Next Avenue suggests some additional ways to get started at the link below.

Pssst! A Little-Known Way Job Seekers Can Hear About Hidden Jobs | Next Avenue via Forbes

Advertisement