Your Short Guide to Being Discoverable and Verifiable

The long-term job search seems harder this time if you’re under 30. It is hard. More so than tying your shoe. Harder than job searching in 2008-10. People are getting hired, but it seems like it’s not you.

If you’re looking for articles on how to get hired right now in the summer of 2026, abort reading this article now. Oh, wait. Stay for a moment because this article is something you want to use for the long-game job search.

In the next five years, there are two things you can do to make your next job search easier. I’m not talking about the old way of planning your career trajectory. The idea that careers are linear these days has universally phased out. Much like writing in the white space with white font keywords, it’s not a successful strategy, and it’s also extinct, like the 5-inch floppy disk.

First, my job search foundational strategies

This is my mission and foundational job search strategies I wish job seekers would know and practice:

1) Job search is a lifestyle. How we search for jobs, market, and upskill has changed dramatically, especially since March 2020. Access to mobile devices is constant, and so is how we scale, pivot, and process our efforts for a better career.

2) Adopt a consultant mindset. I’ve written and talked about using this approach for some years now. There has been substantial independent contractor growth just in the last three years. The traditional employee mindset is fading. We’re now consultants, if not by job position, vetted by job performance, and expertly showing impact in solving company problems.

3) You are the prescription to the company’s job description. You control the narrative andprescriptive solutions how it’s presented. Just as a pharmacist knows how drugs perform, you must know that your performance will positively impact your next employer. You also add value by offering solutions in a prescriptive manner. You may have employee status, but you must act as a business partner. 

4) Upskilling is not a singular lane. Survey how your current and continuing education translates to several industries and not just one. Many freelance writers continuously work because they know how to write for several industries. Technology specialists, accountants, and engineers are examples of well-paid careers in many industries, not solely in tech, financial, and mechanical companies. 

These are important, as I think these are good strategies now. You can apply these without any promises; these will solve your long-term unemployment.

Think about your next job search by preparing for it

If you’re working, you know you could be next, especially if layoffs are floating around the workplace rumor mill. The imaginary bell is ringing louder in your head if your company lost millions of dollars and managers with duckfaces are sour because their bonuses have been severely reduced in recent years.

I’ve included many of my podcast guests, friends, and experts in articles and on the podcast. They‘re likely to tell you they find candidates through a Boolean search on LinkedIn and Google. With today’s AI search, you must think about using this tool and its search capabilities to make you credible, discoverable, and verifiable.

Credible

Employers are working on a fake-candidate-proof hiring process right now. While it may seem crazy to you, the investment is real. It costs millions of dollars and time if they hire one fake employee, and compromises the company’s proprietary information. What’s worse is a company’s payroll is stolen, or a data breach takes place.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•