Job seekers at a job fair organized by the Metropolitan Washington Airports authority to support federal workers on April 25, 2025 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, to find new career opportunities.
Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Nowadays, the job search may feel like a paradox: Even if the overall market is strong, it can be difficult for job seekers to find a new appearance, says economists.
Unemployment was relatively low in April at 4.2%, and employment growth exceeded expectations. The discharge rate is historically low, which means that those with jobs hold on to them.
However, it has become more difficult to find new work.
Companies have set the slowest pace since 2014. Almost 1 out of 4 unemployed workers, 23.5%, are in the long term unemployed what means that they have been unemployed in the previous year for more than six months.
Cory Stahne, economist in the crime, rental laboratory, called it a “low shot, low setting trend” in a note on Friday.
There is a “growing gap” on the labor market between the work -free and those who are employed, wrote Stahne.
The changing market conditions The feeling of affecting job seekers may be, as there were record offers with job offers a few years ago and the workers canceled the chance of record levels.
“This is how it is right now: Companies don't stop,” said Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a career trainer and personal financial expert. “If you are, it's very rare.”
Economic headwinds such as trade wars and the trust of consumers can make job finding difficult in the coming months, according to the economists.
“The market cannot escape the consequences of fast columns and consumer confidence forever,” Stahne wrote.
How job seekers can stand out in a hard market
Shannon Fagan | The picture bank | Getty pictures
Even in this “low fire, low setting market”, there are opportunities for job -seeking opportunities to stand out, experts said.
“If the market changes, the way you are looking for for a job may also be adjusted,” Jennifer Herrity, an expert in career trends, wrote in an email.
1. Be 'creative' with networking
Job seekers probably have to rely more on personal relationships than in the recent past, experts said.
Most jobs come through recommendations or internal candidates, which means that people have to be “creative” and “strategically” about networking opportunities, said Woodruff-Santos.
“Instead of waiting for someone to choose their curriculum vitae from a stack, they have to make it undeniable: stand in front of them,” she said.
“The creation of space for human connections and the establishment of relationships will receive a little more,” she added.
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Not only for obvious network events such as job fairs or expos that are visited strongly by other job seekers, said Woodruff-Santos.
She recommends looking for conferences, seminars, special conversations and book directories. Suppose you work in information technology and someone writes a book about corporate security in the world of artificial intelligence. Visit the author's book signing, the lecture, the seminar or the questions and answers, said Woodruff-Santos-DA, the audience in companies with interest in IT security would probably be.
Connect again with former colleagues to reach the radar of a personnel manager before a role is open to the general public, Herrity said.
2. Search for internal options
With their current roles of dissatisfied workers, internal career opportunities can overlook, experts said.
“While the setting on the surface seems to slow down, this usually only means that the possibilities went further underground,” said Frances Weir, headmistress at the organizational consultancy Korn Ferry, in a briefing in March.
However, employees should be strategic: For example, you should probably not apply to several different jobs in the company or try to continue from a role that you started months ago.
3 .. Adjusting applications
“Generic résumés will not take off the employers on a narrow market,” said Herrity. “Insert your CV and your cover letter on every role, repeat the keywords from the job description and focus your skills on the needs of the employer.”
Applicants should also highlight the results – instead of responsibilities – in their curriculum vitae and interviews, she said. This shows that you are a proven actor by quantifying successes.
4. Upskill and Reskill
“Employers appreciate candidates who use slow periods to grow,” said Herrity. “This is particularly important for those who are exposed to long -term unemployment that may be in a qualification gap.”
It recommends finding free or inexpensive courses in relevant career areas to close gaps and signal initiative, motivation and self -lessons.
List current certifications or course qualifications in the “Education” or “skills” section of a CV, she said.
5. Be flexible
While he is waiting for her ideal job, success could mean that it is open to contract work, roles hybrid or adjacent industries, said Herrity.
“Short -term roles can be a great opportunity to expand your network and skills and then jump when the correct full -time role appears,” she said.