In this issue
Why today’s job market is the most competitive since 2008
How hiring managers define and avoid candidate “risk”
The power of social proof (and how to create it for yourself)
Practical steps to de-risk yourself and win offers
A few updates before we begin:
My ebook is free for all paid subs. You can find it here. Any updates/changes you’ll also get for free.
Resume and LinkedIn Reviews for founding members are here to stay
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30 min consulting calls are back. You’ll be able to book these calls through calendly directly.
if the time doesn’t work for you then DM me on here and we’ll work something out
If you’re in the market for a new office chair, check this out by Autonomous Labs.
I’m sitting all the time for work and have 2 herniated disks. It’s night and day over the old $99 amazon chair I had.
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The Toughest Job Market Since 2008
I don’t think I need to convince anyone that this is the hardest job market in over a decade. The numbers and the stories are everywhere. But most people underestimate just how bad it really is.
There are two forces colliding:
A surge of active candidates because of layoffs, hiring freezes, and RTO mandates.
A wave of passive candidates who are fed up with their companies.
The first one is obvious.
Every week there are headlines about companies cutting staff. You’ve seen the jobs reports and you know the number of new postings has collapsed. If you are applying online, you are competing against hundreds of other applicants every time.
The second one is less obvious but just as powerful.
A lot of people who are currently employed are frustrated. They are annoyed about being forced back to the office while others get exceptions. They are watching their promotions get delayed. Their bonuses were smaller than expected. Their colleagues got laid off in brutal fashion. Their managers passed them over for recognition. All of these small cuts add up. Now they have one foot out the door.
That means when a truly good job hits the market (remote, competitive pay, interesting company) you are not just competing against unemployed candidates. You are competing against top tier pros who already have jobs but want something better.
That is why it feels like you are running uphill.
Quantity and Quality of Competition
We can break down the challenge into two layers.
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