Here is a true story of someone who got a new job in six days by tapping the job market which most job seekers don’t see.

Day 1: A friend of mine, Mr. Helpful, asked me if I could help a friend of his, Mr. Smart, by forwarding his resume to some of my friends. I said, "Okay.”

Day 2: Mr. Helpful sent Mr. Smart's resume to me, which I straightaway forwarded to two of my friends - Mr. Hire and Mr. Fire.

Day 3: Mr. Hire, who works for a US multinational, called Mr. Smart and invited him to come for an interview.

Day 4 & 5 (weekend): No action!

Day 6: Mr. Smart appeared at the interview and got the job!

It all happened in less than a week. There is, however, nothing miraculous about it. Miracles, by definition, are not supposed to happen every day. The way Mr. Smart got the job is how majority (yes, majority!) of the jobs get filled up in the job market - every day!

According to some estimates, about 70-80% jobs are filled up in this manner - without ever being advertised. Welcome to the invisible job market!

As a job seeker, you may think the best way to get a job is to look for ads in the newspapers and job search Web sites, send in applications and then wait for interview calls.

The reality is that the job market you see in the newspapers and on the Internet is only about 20-30% of the total job market. The larger portion of the total job market remains invisible. For every vacancy you see in a newspaper or on the Internet, there are 3 or 4 that you don't see - and will never see.

If you want to get a job fast, focus a larger (not all!) proportion of your efforts to tap the invisible job market. And that means doing something as simple as Mr. Smart did: Telling those you know that you're looking for a job and sincerely asking them to help you. This is also known as “networking”. The approach of involving others works because it is like adding 20 or 30 more eyes to your own two while searching for a job. No wonder, it makes the search easier and faster.

There are two more ways you can tap the invisible job market:

1. Approach potential employers directly even if they have not advertised any vacancies.

This is like cutting the bud before it grows. Why allow the employers to advertise and subject yourself to unnecessary competition from fellow job seekers? Remember, many times, before a job is advertised, there is a period when the position remains unfilled for some time. If you strike the target within this period, you enjoy bright chances of securing a new job without facing any competition.

All you’ve to do is to identify few potential organizations and the right people to approach (not HR) within those organisations and finally muster up the courage to approach them. Try it and see for yourself how effective this approach can be.

2. Approach recruitment agencies and search firms.

If you've been looking for a job for quite some time without success, try changing your strategy. Start focusing on the invisible job market: involve others in your job search, approach potential employers directly and seek help from recruitment agencies. Your search may end faster than you can imagine, if you tap the invisible job market.