Career guru Donald Asher spoke Tuesday, Oct. 16, to University of Dayton students and faculty about how to secure any job after graduating with any major.
Asher’s presentation, which downplayed the importance of a student’s major, emphasized tapping into what he called the “hidden job market.”
He also explained techniques for successful self-marketing to a company that may not have posted a job opening.
Asher explained to students that the “hidden job market” contains 55-85 percent of all jobs in the current market. Jobs on the hidden market either have not been posted formally or have been posted but filed through what Asher nicknamed a “side door.”
“The key to students finding this side door to a job is networking or simply talking to people,” Asher said. “It’s important to reach out and find people that have any connection to a student’s field of interest. These connections could eventually end with a job.”
According to his website, Asher speaks 150 times a year at colleges, universities and corporate meetings around the world and has written 12 books about career development and higher education.
Senior visual communication design major Michelle Metz, who attended Asher’s talk, said she was interested in learning about the opportunities available in the job market and was looking for techniques on how best to get a job.
“In today’s world, it is even more important to master the art of actually finding job openings,” Asher said. “It is crucial because it is projected that the average person will hold as many as 10 different jobs before they retire.”
Senior psychology major Sam Lenzi, also in attendance, said he was seeking advice and ideas on how to sort through the “clutter of people looking through jobs,” an issue Asher directly addressed in his presentation.
“The key is to occupy mental space in the minds of the managers hiring people,” Asher said. “Using a ‘gentle haunt’ technique [with potential employers] is important to stay remembered without being red-flagged for being too aggressive.”
Gloria Marano, a UD alumnus and the Dayton chapter president of the Alumni Association, said the presentation explained the job search process for current students requires more than handing out resumes to potential employers.
“Students should realize that it’s an ongoing process throughout your whole life to find jobs,” Marano said with alumni at her aside. “It doesn’t end after graduation.”
For more information on Asher and his career advice, visit donaldasher.com
