Today’s Job Search Really Looks Strange And Uncertain Like 2021

For two years, Jack Kelly and I hosted a LinkedIn Live series, “#jobseekernation.” It was a panel show that still survives on LinkedIn, but is easier to find on YouTube.

Those shows are time capsules of what was going on in the job market. I noticed similarities: It was turbulent then, as it is now. Many of us who regularly watch these trends are noticing the differences, but the feeling of uncertainty always makes for uneasy viewing.

I liken it to watching a dog turn against its owner, not aggressively, just enough to feel the air thicken with tension.

Strange and uncertain.

It’s nonsense, yet it aptly describes today’s job search.

I mentioned in an episode of the LinkedIn Live series, “#jobseekernation,” a few years ago, retail stores would copy Best Buy’s business model by rehiring their workers part-time.

I’ll try to provide some context for 2021. You can correct or debate in the comments. I’m going off some notes, so here goes:

The economy was adding a significant number of new jobs, with one report showing almost a million new positions in a month.

Financial institutions, such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, were predicting that hiring would increase and a “Goldilocks Economy.” The Federal Reserve Chair described the moment as an “inflection point.”

There was stimulus monies, PPP loans, and unemployment trials and challenges, only to be cut off in late September.

Businesses were buying land like candy. We now know why.

We were talking about jobless recovery. While some sectors were booming, others, such as the airline and hospitality industries, continued to struggle, leaving fewer options for those with experience in these fields.

We learned mental health didn’t understand the political party divide, as everyone was trying to gauge and protect their own state of mind, maintaining some sense of balance. It’s the investment everyone will need to be intentional about.

Unemployment gaps were and still are weapons of hiring destruction. I know there are many to disagree, but, yeah, this is real.

So, companies continue to copy each other, and they always will. Layoffs, unemployment, and pay debates. We might as well call this the “Great Reset.”

There’s much more. It felt so hard to bear them for many, but it feels that way now. Some of you are still recovering. Others of you have gone through two or three rounds in the last four years.

I hope you’ll find a way to navigate this transition as well.

What appears to work right now.

It’s counterintuitive to only apply for jobs for which you’re best qualified. We naturally think the more options, the better. The successful job seekers who seem to navigate challenging job search climates can be narrowed down to two factors: what they want to do, and where they want to do it. When they eliminate the noise from the places they don’t want to be, they can focus on where they want to go.

Many experts I talk with regularly agree that being open to everything appeals to no employer. They don’t try to fit your skills into the buckets needing to be filled. They won’t say where you’re better qualified, nor will they put you on a waiting list unless you’ve impressed them.

Here are a couple of action items:

Change begins with a mind shift.

Approach today’s job search as if you were training your body for better health:

It takes a solid individual plan to make bigger strides. You may need to take small steps at first, but just like your body adapts to small steps, your mind adapts to creating small wins first before the big ones.

This is the mind shift you’ll need to make: While many gurus and coaches advise applying for jobs for which you’re 70% qualified, my recruiter friends discourage this approach. Candidates are being more scrutinized than ever. I can’t tell you a magic percentage where it’s OK to apply, but neither can recruiters. They will interview the best-qualified candidates before them. That’s why even the 80% don’t and won’t get interviews for positions.

In other words, a good recruiter might see a candidate with seven out of ten skills and be able to advocate for them by explaining why the missing three can be learned or are less critical.

You must connect the dots.

As a job seeker, you must present a no-brainer case for your hiring. You’ll need a few stories to tie what you can deliver to their needs. If they have to do the thinking for you, don’t expect to get hired. In other words, a good recruiter might see a candidate with seven out of ten skills and be able to advocate for them by explaining why the missing three can be learned or are less critical.

If your skills aren’t creating demand for you to find work…

There comes a time when you’ll need to create demand for your work. If what you do is so unique in quality or quantity, then create an ecosystem around the results, sharing how people benefit and how it aligns with their work. I must add that creating demand isn’t the only thing to do. You also create demand through conversations. I told Fast Company, “Get to know those professionals whose career paths you want to emulate and get to know their work deeply.”

Notice that I didn’t mention expanding your network. Instead, let your network lead you to your next contacts. It’s easier than meeting new people without the exhaustion.

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