The “traditional” 2013 employment market will be much more challenging than you might anticipate. Many companies are doing more with less. They can afford to be highly selective because they always receive a large number of qualified applicants for one job vacancy. So what can you do to increase your chances of attaining a new job this year?

What many job seekers aren’t privy to is: statistics surprisingly illustrate that approximately 80% of vacancies within companies are never publicly advertised—nope—instead, they are filled through employee referrals! This saves companies both time and money. These opportunities are hidden from the public eye and careerist never find out about them as they enthusiastically go from job board to job board in search of their dream job.

So How can you begin to effectively tap into the Hidden Job Market?

Revamp your resume! Is it well-formatted and well-presented? Is your resume cohesively written and pleasing to the eye? Does it effectively tell your story? Be honest with yourself, because to every single company you send your resume to–your resume IS you!

Narrow down your dream job in the ideal company. If you were to start a job search today, where would you apply? What would you do? Think about who might be able to help you. Planning is key in launching a successful job search campaign. Read the rest of this article.