
“You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” – Ayn Rand, Russian-born American writer, Atlas Shrugged (1957)
Acknowledging current job market realities is imperative for job search success. Clinging to comforting narratives while ignoring hard truths will not change how employers operate, especially regarding their respective hiring process.
Most job seekers conveniently ignore the following seven uncomfortable truths, which, if they accepted, would expedite their job search.
1. There’s always someone younger and hungrier than you.
When it comes to “job search truisms that suck,” this is at the top.
Job searching is a competition against other candidates, AI, automation, low-cost overseas labour, and the advantages of using contractors and freelancers. Achieving success in this competitive landscape requires being hungrier than your competition, as winning typically demands a strong desire to prevail.
I view “someone younger and hungrier” (and more skilled) as a call to action. While you can’t “youth appeal,” you can lessen its influence on hiring decisions by:
Assuring employers you’re relevant—not “dated”—that you keep up with technology, social media’s ebbs and flows, and ever-shifting social norms.
Demonstrating you can work autonomously (read: you’ll be easy to manage).
Cultivating professional relationships that can vouch for your value to an employer.
Establishing you don’t have a sense of entitlement—the Achilles heel of most job seekers.
2. You don’t own your job; your employer does.
The phrase “my job” is an oxymoron. Layoffs illustrate that the job belongs to the employer, yet many job seekers chase the illusion of job security.
My take is an employee is renting their job until they no longer want the job or their employer requires their services. Job seekers would shorten their job search by adopting a renter’s mindset. In other words, don’t look for what doesn’t exist—a permanent employment situation.
Renting is primarily about having a roof over your head; therefore, we tend to accept, within reason, “less than ideal” (e.g., neighbourhood, kitchen layout, bathroom size). The motivation to buy a home is to build equity, which, as you know, is more challenging, expensive, and requires a long-term commitment. When job searching, think of yourself looking for a rental situation; looking for a job that meets your immediate income needs is a quicker route to landing a job than looking for your “ideal work situation.”
3. What you show is what an employer will know.
Employers hire results, not opinions.
Most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are merely lists of opinions; hence, they fail to attract opportunities. Vague claims like “I’m a team player” lack substance. You must quantify: “I was part of a 12-member sales team with a $6.5 million quota.” Numbers, the language of business, illustrate your impact and make you a more attractive candidate.
4. You don’t define your worth; employers do.
A sense of entitlement fuels the obsession with being paid what you’re worth.
Basic economics: A product or service’s worth is largely determined by how well it solves a customer’s problem, meets their needs, and compares with competing products.
As I mentioned, when job searching, you’re competing against candidates who are younger and hungrier than you. Thus, they’re willing to work for a lower wage to get their foot in the door, gain experience, and prove themselves. The reason many job seekers experience a lengthy job search is because they possess an inflated sense of their value to employers and overlook their competition.
5. Employers are moving away from remote jobs.
Their company, their rules.
It’s no secret that many companies, such as Starbucks, Amazon, Meta, Walmart, and Trump mandating federal workers return to the office full-time, are ending the remote work setup during COVID, which gave white-collar workers a taste of the privilege of working from home.
From what I’m observing and hearing, abuse of working from home is prevalent; hence, I agree with employers having their employees RTO and employees having to manage their workdays as they did pre-COVID.
For a faster job search, be open to working onsite. If WFH is a non-negotiable ‘must-have,’ be prepared for a lengthy job search as the number of WFH opportunities is rapidly shrinking.
6. Your LinkedIn profile and activity on LinkedIn matter more than your resume.
What has more visibility, your resume, which is only seen by those you give it to, or your LinkedIn profile, which anyone can view 24/7/365?
Given how influential your LinkedIn profile can be to your job search and career, I find it surprising that I still see profiles that scream, “I’m not serious about my job search or career!”
With all the information and guides available, it’s inexcusable not to create a fully optimized LinkedIn profile that’ll attract opportunities.
7. Your likability supersedes your skills and experience.
Hiring managers don’t hire candidates they don’t like; hence, likability is a job seeker’s biggest asset. While your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile job will get you interviews, the success of your interview will be primarily determined by how likable you are; therefore, being likable is a trait (read: skill) worth fostering.
*Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned corporate veteran, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. Send Nick your job search questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.