Here's something hiring managers know that job seekers often don't: a large share of the best roles never make it to a public job board. We fill them through referrals, networks, and direct outreach before we'd ever post them. I've hired plenty of people I never advertised a role for. If you only apply to posted jobs, you're competing for the leftovers in the most crowded part of the market. Here's how to access the hidden one.

Why the best roles aren't posted

When I have a role to fill, posting it publicly is my last resort, not my first. Posting generates hundreds of applications I have to wade through, most unqualified. So I first ask my network, ask my team who they know, and reach out to people I've noticed. Only if that fails do I post. This means the people in my network or on my radar get the first, best shot — before the role is ever public and the competition floods in.

Strategy 1: Be visible doing the work

The most powerful thing you can do is be publicly visible doing AI work. Share projects, write about what you're building, post your work where people in the field will see it. When I need to hire, I think first of people I've seen doing good work publicly. The person who has been quietly building in public for months has a massive advantage over the person who only surfaces when they need a job. Visibility compounds.

Strategy 2: Build genuine relationships before you need them

The cliché that it's about who you know is a cliché because it's true. But the nuance people miss is the timing: you build the relationships before you need them, not when you're desperate. Engage genuinely with people in the field — comment thoughtfully, help others, contribute to communities. When a role opens, the people who know you think of you. The person who only reaches out when they need something gets a very different response than the person who has been a genuine part of the community.

Strategy 3: Direct outreach to companies you admire

Don't wait for a company to post a role. If there's a company doing AI work you admire, reach out directly with something specific: what you noticed about their work, what you could contribute, a relevant project you've done. This works far more often than people expect, because it lands before any role is posted and competition exists. Many companies will create a role for the right person who shows up at the right moment. We have.

Strategy 4: Use the data platforms as a foot in the door

AI data and training platforms (Scale, Surge, Outlier) hire continuously and can be a way into the ecosystem. Once you're doing AI work, even entry-level, you're inside the field, building relationships and visibility that lead to the next, better, often-unposted opportunity.

Strategy 5: Let people know you're looking (specifically)

When you are actively looking, tell your network specifically what you're looking for. Not "let me know if you hear of anything" — that's too vague to act on. Instead: "I'm looking for an AI content strategist role at a healthcare or consumer brand, here's a project I've done." Specific asks are actionable. People can match a specific need to opportunities they hear about. Vague asks get vague help.

What NOT to do

The honest take

The best AI roles are often filled before they're posted, through networks, referrals, and direct outreach. To access that hidden market: be visible doing the work, build genuine relationships before you need them, reach out directly to companies you admire, get inside the ecosystem any way you can, and make specific asks when you're looking. Applying to posted jobs should be one channel, not your only one. The people who get the best roles aren't usually the best applicants — they're the people who were already visible and connected when the need arose.

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