The job search process is changing

About two years ago, I lost my job. Overnight I noticed that there was an otherwise stable company downstairs and I was asking, “What happened?” I felt bad for myself and went to sleep, and it took me a week to run to the ground and find a new job.

It turns out to be interesting during this process that most of the streets I used previously appeared to be closed. This seems to be an uneasy trend for many of us. A recent survey by Aerotek shows that large staff and labor force management Almost 70% of respondents said that current job hunting is more difficult than the last job search, and that the recruitment process currently averages around 43 days.¹.

My colleague just posted it on LinkedIn. It’s now like this:

• Unemployed for 8 months
• 2,500 submitted applications
• 82 round interview
• 3% conversion of application to interview

This is not a new person among them Career Or there is no network. This is someone who has masters degrees, team leadership experience, and has decades of workforce. I asked why it took so long. Why was the process so difficult? And what has changed?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the US added 139,000 jobs in May 2025, adding the unemployment rate. It hasn’t changed at 4%². If so, what are you missing?

I think the answer to this could fall into a variety of areas, but as we work there is more we can do to help our colleagues. Doing so will help you in the future.

networking: This can be a difficult task. We all have coworkers and friends at work, but at the end of the day, the network needs to stay nourished even after you leave the role. The best work goes to people in your network. But I find that people often ignore their networks until they need it. Too many times, a colleague who reaches out to me will learn more about my role in the company or reach out to many others and say no one has returned their calls. Are we really in that when you’ve been working with someone for years, you can’t take 30 minutes from your day to connect with them?

Even if you can’t help them get a job, it makes sense to connect, to help them on their journey, to instill hopes established in terms of the years they have worked together. I need to do more. Now is the time we saw such a connection with pride. These are people who respect you, trust you, and reach out to you because they need your help. We can do better to help them because we may be in the same position one day and we may need to help out someone else.

Outreach: Most companies have 10-100 open roles at a time. The problem they face is that only recruiters and employment managers are looking for talent. Why isn’t that? I wish we had better talent in every company, someone said, I wish we had better talent. When those roles are promoted, what actions do you take to fill them up? Once a month, look at the open role of your company and think about the people you know.

Bringing great people into your company even if they’re not on your team will have a positive impact on your revenue. Some short emails to reach out can help those looking for you. And you can even grab someone who is employed but ready to make the move. There’s nothing to lose. If you’re good at your job, what you bring will be a similar caliber and will help you move the organization forward.

Share: Once you get a job, after all, tell your network how to do it. Share it on LinkedIn and tell your friends who are still watching, I promise you won’t ruin it. By the time you watched again, the ceremony had changed. Early in my career, I met people I met in person to take my resume down. After that, LinkedIn was the place of work. Now I’m watching 500 people reply to work there in the first 30 minutes online, so where are you heading next? Getting information keeps good people out of the workforce that may not be looking at the right place.

Share your secrets. Share the hack. Once you land your gig, spend some time with a few friends and proceed with the process. Post it to your blog, tweet, podcast or email. The job search process is evolving every day, and you need to share where it is headed and help others get there.

You need to remember that you need to help when others ask because you need the same help at some point. If someone reviews your resume, offer to do it for the other two and double the help there. If someone connects you to a colleague, do the same for three colleagues and triple the strength of your network. Think back to your own workplace and the people you want to work with again. I’m sure you’re hiring and I think they’ll be happy to hear from you.

Reach out, share information, and help each other. We all become strong together and there are times when we all need to help ourselves.