The Hidden Job Market: Jobs with Celebrities & Billionaires
Hands down, the biggest surprise of my career when working with millionaires, billionaires, and royalty would be how easy it is to score a job with them.
Remember, as both an employee and a recruiter, I have been on both sides of the fence with ultra-high-net-worth families. Breaking the "hidden job market" is not as complicated as you think. Here are unconventional ways to score dream jobs with the super-rich.
Remember, as both an employee and a recruiter, I have been on both sides of the fence with ultra-high-net-worth families. Breaking the "hidden job market" is not as complicated as you think. Here are unconventional ways to score dream jobs with the super-rich.
What is the Hidden Job Market?
The hidden job market refers to jobs obtained by word of mouth. They aren't posted on a job board or social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) or scored through recruiters.
Here's the secret that a headhunter or hiring manager won't tell you: An employer doesn't like using recruitment agencies to get candidates; they prefer to get staff through a current employee -- a referral. So, connections are critical. There are many reasons for this, namely:
Here's the secret that a headhunter or hiring manager won't tell you: An employer doesn't like using recruitment agencies to get candidates; they prefer to get staff through a current employee -- a referral. So, connections are critical. There are many reasons for this, namely:
The Cost of Staffing Agencies Is Expensive
Let's face it: billionaires can be thrifty. Retained-search recruiters will charge about one-third of the total compensation package to the client to fill the job opening. So, let's say the salary for an assistant is $150,000 with health insurance and other benefits, then the agent will charge a whopping $50,000 to the client.
A Violation of Privacy (in a way)
Billionaire employers are incredibly secret, and when they go to a third party for consulting about staff for their private job opportunities, they have to "tip their hand" -- figuratively speaking. They hate that!
When going to an agency, the high-net-worth individual (or a company that represents them) is going to be "interviewed" by the recruiter because the company that is going to "headhunt" the candidates will also have an excellent reputation; otherwise, the billionaire wouldn't be going to them in the first place. The recruiter must ensure everything is legal and the job description is thorough. In short, the super-rich sometimes feel compromised going through this process.
Remember, all of the PA jobs that I got with celebrities, billionaires, and royal families were on my own -- and I didn't have a college degree either (at the time). NOTE: I have since obtained my B.A. and master's degree because I wanted to do it for personal reasons.
When I worked for the ultra-elite and would hire staff for a new job that we had open, I never went through a recruiter. And now, as a headhunter, when I interview candidates and ask them how they scored their last job with a celebrity, they usually say it was through "a friend of a friend." In short, networking. A news article won't help you much, but friends will focus on who you know.
A word to the wise: Be careful what you post on social media when looking for a job. Employers prefer to fill job openings with candidates who watch their presence online. Professionals don't make silly mistakes, so always beware of what you're posting.
When going to an agency, the high-net-worth individual (or a company that represents them) is going to be "interviewed" by the recruiter because the company that is going to "headhunt" the candidates will also have an excellent reputation; otherwise, the billionaire wouldn't be going to them in the first place. The recruiter must ensure everything is legal and the job description is thorough. In short, the super-rich sometimes feel compromised going through this process.
Remember, all of the PA jobs that I got with celebrities, billionaires, and royal families were on my own -- and I didn't have a college degree either (at the time). NOTE: I have since obtained my B.A. and master's degree because I wanted to do it for personal reasons.
When I worked for the ultra-elite and would hire staff for a new job that we had open, I never went through a recruiter. And now, as a headhunter, when I interview candidates and ask them how they scored their last job with a celebrity, they usually say it was through "a friend of a friend." In short, networking. A news article won't help you much, but friends will focus on who you know.
A word to the wise: Be careful what you post on social media when looking for a job. Employers prefer to fill job openings with candidates who watch their presence online. Professionals don't make silly mistakes, so always beware of what you're posting.
What does "high Net Worth" Actually Mean?
It's a great question, and it's largely misunderstood. I get emails weekly asking about this. Before we get to formal definitions, let's look at essential statistics.
The U.S. Census Bureau lists the annual median income at about $38,000 in 2024. Now, it does matter how you sort the data, and different companies play around with averages, mean, and median, but this is just a rough starting point.
High net worth (HNW) means that an individual has a "net" (cash) worth of at least one million dollars. In the "old days," this was something substantial; now, it's not enough to retire on, so don't give up your job search. We are now seeing the term ultra-high net worth (UHNW), which also refers to people of extraordinary means: tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars.
It may be hard to believe, but back in the early 1900s, when the titans of industry and other high-profile industrialists monopolized many industries, some were ten times wealthier than Jeff Bezos (in today's money adjusting for inflation). That's a lot of cash, but it only applied to a small handful of people. Can you imagine doing a job search back in those days?
During the 21st century, the wealth statistics are staggering; many high-profile news articles support it. We have always heard of the term "the rich get richer;" well, that's truer today than ever. The depth and breadth of the wealth is vast. More than 2,700 billionaires are worldwide, and about 800 are in America. They are scattered throughout the country, not just in Los Angeles or New York City. In other words, it would take candidates years to send resumes to the billionaires. You can tap the hidden job market and try connecting to them.
Also, in the U.S., there are about 10,000,000 millionaires -- 200,000 per state. Again, sending a resume to all of them is impossible because there are so many, so contact friends for referrals (or they might give you tips for free). What else are friends for?
And for the super-rich category, this is the most impressive. More than 50,000 households in America have a net worth between 50 and 500 million dollars. Again, jobs with them won't be advertised, so you must express interest by sending them a letter and a polished resume.
This all means that the opportunities to work for the super-rich are unmatched in history. These families employ small armies of domestic staff to meet their needs, and the "hidden job market" means that about 85% of those jobs are obtained through word of mouth.
The U.S. Census Bureau lists the annual median income at about $38,000 in 2024. Now, it does matter how you sort the data, and different companies play around with averages, mean, and median, but this is just a rough starting point.
High net worth (HNW) means that an individual has a "net" (cash) worth of at least one million dollars. In the "old days," this was something substantial; now, it's not enough to retire on, so don't give up your job search. We are now seeing the term ultra-high net worth (UHNW), which also refers to people of extraordinary means: tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars.
It may be hard to believe, but back in the early 1900s, when the titans of industry and other high-profile industrialists monopolized many industries, some were ten times wealthier than Jeff Bezos (in today's money adjusting for inflation). That's a lot of cash, but it only applied to a small handful of people. Can you imagine doing a job search back in those days?
During the 21st century, the wealth statistics are staggering; many high-profile news articles support it. We have always heard of the term "the rich get richer;" well, that's truer today than ever. The depth and breadth of the wealth is vast. More than 2,700 billionaires are worldwide, and about 800 are in America. They are scattered throughout the country, not just in Los Angeles or New York City. In other words, it would take candidates years to send resumes to the billionaires. You can tap the hidden job market and try connecting to them.
Also, in the U.S., there are about 10,000,000 millionaires -- 200,000 per state. Again, sending a resume to all of them is impossible because there are so many, so contact friends for referrals (or they might give you tips for free). What else are friends for?
And for the super-rich category, this is the most impressive. More than 50,000 households in America have a net worth between 50 and 500 million dollars. Again, jobs with them won't be advertised, so you must express interest by sending them a letter and a polished resume.
This all means that the opportunities to work for the super-rich are unmatched in history. These families employ small armies of domestic staff to meet their needs, and the "hidden job market" means that about 85% of those jobs are obtained through word of mouth.
How to Score a Dream Job in the Hidden Job Market
Now that we know there are millions of high-net-worth families out there, there are too many to choose from, so you need to narrow your list and be strategic. Here are some unconventional ways that you can score jobs with the super-rich.
You have a much better chance of landing a job with a billionaire than applying on Monster.com to some random gig. When jobs are posted online, they could receive thousands of applications. It's better to crack the hidden job market. Take the road less traveled and try some of the following techniques:
You have a much better chance of landing a job with a billionaire than applying on Monster.com to some random gig. When jobs are posted online, they could receive thousands of applications. It's better to crack the hidden job market. Take the road less traveled and try some of the following techniques:
Networking on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is your first and most effective line of defense for job seekers who want to work for the affluent. Searching for positions online can work, but you effectively compete with thousands of other candidates. If, for example, you want to be an estate manager or assistant to a high-net-worth family or local celebrity in your city, use LinkedIn to find others who already work for the VIP. Send a short and sweet note asking about any open positions. If you have optimized your LinkedIn profile and impressed the person you contacted, they could keep your name on file for when a position opens up.
Contact Exotic Car Rental Establishments
Supercar dealerships in your area are a great way to get some leads. Any facility selling or renting high-end brands like Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Rolls Royce will know about the area's high-net-worth families. Of course, you must approach them tactfully, but you can establish a professional relationship with them by browsing their showroom (pretending to be looking for your "imaginary" boss). Those kinds of businesses also have relationships with other vendors that cater to the upper echelon. Thinking out of the box like this will generate new leads for yourself. Again, take the road less traveled.
Private Security Companies
Executive protection agencies are always in need of personal assistants for their clients. If they have a visiting celebrity, the security personnel (often off-duty police officers or retired Secret Service agents) will not act as an errand runner for the VIP. So, when a security detail is hired for a visiting billionaire, it's commonplace for an assistant to be part of the entourage.
Five-star Hotels
Elite properties in your city are also a great way to generate job leads. You should be connecting with the concierge desk mainly because they work closely with the high-net-worth families and vendors in the area. They know much more about what's happening in town than you can imagine, and you're off the traditional path to land interviews this way.
Fancy hotels are not just for people from out of town; they are often havens for the ultra-rich in the area (especially during wedding season). You have nothing to lose by seeing if they are interested in helping you. Just don't ask them to sign an agreement.
Fancy hotels are not just for people from out of town; they are often havens for the ultra-rich in the area (especially during wedding season). You have nothing to lose by seeing if they are interested in helping you. Just don't ask them to sign an agreement.
Private Jet Companies
Private aviation could be a fabulous way to score a job. Anyone who can afford to fly privately can afford a personal assistant. Several well-known celebrity PAs in Los Angeles and New York City started as in-flight attendants in the private aviation world and then were "poached" by well-known celebrities to work full-time.
Your Local Embassy
Consulates, of course, deal with dignitaries, royal families, and diplomats worldwide. If you have the right background, you could be hired to assist visiting VIPs and parlay that into a full-time position. In the end, the more you build your network, the better your chances of getting your dream job.
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