7 Job Launch Pain Points Job Seekers Will Face in 2025
While we all love to talk about how the new year is going to be so much better than the last (I do too), I also think it’s wise to take a beat and think about what obstacles we might face and how to overcome that as well.
Going into the new year, I expect these 7 things to cause the most grief for job seekers as they look for work.
A Growing Gap Between Knowledge and Application
We started to see this last year and I think we’ll really see this become a problem in 2025 in the white-collar sectors. New people to the job market and career changers are facing increased competition from a vast number of layoffs. These individuals compete for the same jobs as others with much more experience than they have.
It’s not that they don’t know how to do the job, but that they haven’t had the opportunity to apply that knowledge and prove themselves yet. In the past, companies hired these people, but this year I think it will be harder to find a job for new grads and career changers because of this.
How to Overcome This Obstacle
If you are changing careers or new to the job market, you have to find a way to close the experience gap. I meet a lot of people who know how to do the job they’re applying for, but they lack the experience needed to convince someone of that fact.
Take the time to build up a portfolio before you begin your job search. You can do that through freelancing, volunteering, class projects, or simply starting your own project. You have to find a way to close the gap between your knowledge and the application of that knowledge.
Navigating What Is Real and What Is Not
Never before, especially now that AI is permeating every aspect of our lives, has it been easier for bad actors to pose as fake recruiters and post scam jobs. I believe these issues will be rampant and worse than we’ve ever seen this year. I don’t see companies taking enough action. Job seekers faced this problem last year and they’ll continue to do so this year, further complicating their job search.
How to Overcome This Obstacle
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this one. To overcome this, you’ll have to take extra time to verify the job and the company before you apply for it. Check the company’s webpage and make sure the job exists there. Call the company if you have to.
Learn the signs of scam artists and scam jobs so you can spot them. The last thing you need is for someone to steal your identity in an already stressful time.
AI Arms Race Between Job Seekers and Recruiters
Artificial Intelligence is also creating what can only be described as an AI nuclear arms race in recruitment. We started to see this happen at the end of last year and this year it will be in full swing.
As job seekers deploy more AI in their job search, recruiting departments are responding with their own to keep up. While it may seem neat to use AI to spam apply to thousands of jobs with one click, it’s overwhelming talent acquisition teams. In response, they have started to deploy their own AI tools to assist with the increased volume.
This year may just be the year that we actually bring into reality some of the myths about AI bots scanning our resumes and the hidden job market. If the traditional model of recruitment becomes too inundated, recruiters will find alternative ways to identify talent.
How to Overcome This Obstacle
Networking has always been important for professionals. It’s going to become more important this year. And I don’t mean cold messaging recruiters and companies after you apply for a job - that’s not really networking. That’s cold calling. It can work, but it’s not the same.
If you’ve ignored your network, this year is the year you should start investing time into rekindling relationships, expanding the size of your network, and maintaining key relationships so they are there when you need them later. If you wait until you have to job search, you’re already 6 months behind everyone else.
The Entry-Level Job Needle Moving
It’s no secret that companies are trying to figure out how AI can perform many entry-level tasks. This year, entry-level jobs will look more like mid-level jobs with more requirements and more skills/experience required. Sadly, I don’t expect our education system to catch up with this change this year so it will be dependent upon each individual to make sure they have more skills and experience than they used to have to remain competitive in the market.
Because there are so many people in the white-collar job market, I don’t expect this to affect employers adversely yet. They can find plenty of mid-career people for their new entry-level roles. But this will make it harder for people with minimal experience to find entry-level work.
How to Overcome This Obstacle
Plan for the fact that you will need 2 years of experience when you graduate to snag an entry-level job. We’ve already seen some of this last year. It’s going to intensify. Build a portfolio, participate in internships (yes there are career change internships for older job seekers as well), and make sure you don’t rely on education alone to get you a job.
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