Beyond Indeed: How to Find Unlisted Roles in 2026
A guide to 'ecosystem searching'—looking at vendors and consultants of your target companies.
If you are only applying to jobs on Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor, you are fighting 100% of the competition for 20% of the jobs.
The "Hidden Job Market" isn't a myth. It's just a different way of hiring. It happens through referrals, internal moves, and ecosystem partners.
Ecosystem Searching
Instead of just targeting a specific company (e.g., Salesforce), target their ecosystem.
1. The Vendors
Who sells to Salesforce? Who handles their marketing, their PR, their software development? These vendors often hire people who understand the Salesforce ecosystem.
- Search: "Salesforce Partner" or "Salesforce Consultant" on LinkedIn.
2. The Customers
Who uses the product? If you are an expert in a specific tool, look for companies that just bought that tool.
- Search: Job descriptions for "Experience with [Tool Name] required."
3. The VC Portfolios
If a Venture Capital firm invests in a startup, that startup is about to hire. Go to the websites of top VC firms (Sequoia, a16z, Y Combinator) and look at their portfolio pages. They often have aggregated job boards that aren't indexed by Indeed.
The "Boolean Search" Trick
Use Google to find job listings that might be buried on a company's own site.
Try this search query:
site:greenhouse.io "software engineer" "remote"
site:lever.co "product manager" "new york"
This searches the Applicant Tracking System domains directly, bypassing the aggregators.
Actionable Insight
Pick your top 3 dream companies. Don't just apply to them. Find out who their top 3 service providers are (agencies, consultancies, software vendors) and check their careers pages. You might find a "back door" into the industry you love.