Day: July 27, 2025

• Career coach Emily Warden said the 2025 job market is the worst she’s seen in 10 years.
• AI, offshoring, and layoffs have intensified competition, affecting job seekers’ success.
• Warden said applying for jobs should be the last step in the job hunt process.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Emily Worden, a 44-year-old career coach based in Boston. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

A decade ago, most of my clients requested résumé writing support, and I’d take them through a pretty simple, plug-and-play process for a very straightforward market. Now, the market is a dumpster fire.

In recent years, AI has replaced jobs, companies are offshoring or going leaner, and mass layoffs in the public sector are sending thousands into the private sector. There are simply more people competing for even fewer jobs.

Many people who would’ve gotten scooped up in a second a few years ago are getting completely passed up. Here’s my advice to people navigating the 2025 job market.

Applying for jobs should be the last step in the job hunt process

The people I see struggling are the “jack of all trades” people who aren’t clear on what they want and try to fit themselves and their résumé into any job. It’s important to get crystal clear on your target companies and job titles, and tell a consistent story across your résumé and LinkedIn.

Before building your résumé, gather a few interesting job descriptions that match your desired job title, pull out the keywords and phrases used to describe the ideal candidate, and speak directly to those points. You can even plop those keywords directly into your LinkedIn headline, skills list, and within the bullet points on your résumé.

For example, if “cross-functional collaboration” is an important skill a company is seeking, write a bullet point that clearly states how you’ve utilized cross-functional collaboration in a past role.

Network before you apply to a job to improve your chances

I’d rather job seekers send out 100 networking messages than 100 job applications.

While applicant pools have gotten larger, recruiter teams have gotten smaller, meaning many recruiters are absolutely overwhelmed. The people I see getting through the application phase are those with a referral, those working with a recruiter, or those who apply within the first few hours of the job being posted.

Networking is particularly important for people who are pivoting careers or are newer to the workforce.

Tips on how to build connections that can lead to landing a job

If you’re doing a cold reach out, find people with whom you have something in common — whether they live in your area, went to the same college, or volunteer for the same organization. You can use filters on LinkedIn to locate people by location, school, organizations, etc.

Rather than reaching out with a vague request for a 15-minute chat, which is easy to ignore or pass on, ask a specific question like “I see you got your PMP certification. I’m thinking of that. Would you recommend it?” From there, you can work on building a connection and, depending on the person, ask for a referral.

I see a lot of people just reaching out to colleagues or folks in their industry. Don’t forget the people in your life who are natural-born connectors or know a lot of people. This could be real estate agents, hairdressers, fundraisers, and community leaders. This is where I see the good stuff happening.

LinkedIn needs to become your new best friend

LinkedIn rewards two primary activities: sharing knowledge and engaging. Posting original content can be great for solidifying your personal brand, but don’t forget about commenting.

Commenting is a low-stakes way to become more active on the platform, get your name out there, and get the algorithm warmed up.

I recommend making a spreadsheet of VIPs in your personal field, checking out their activity, and commenting where they comment. Or, if someone replies to your comment, connect with them and send a message saying “thanks for that thoughtful comment. I’m looking to expand my network.”

Taking time off from job searching can be helpful

I see so many people sad, defeated, and fearful that they’ll never work again. I want people to know that it’s not them, it’s this competitive market.

I know the job search can be soul-crushing, so I’m a huge advocate for taking time off. Whether that’s the weekend or just an afternoon to do something that makes you feel good, I think it’s important to find time for yourself.

The market is always swinging on a pendulum, so I’m hopeful that it will recover soon.

Are you a professional with career advice to share? Contact this editor, Manseen Logan, at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

• Google‘s Mira Lane shared what information job seekers should collect before making a career pivot.
• Lane started out as a software developer and eventually created an AI prototyping lab at Google.
• She said gathering insights from networking, internships, and research can help you make an informed choice.

Google executive Mira Lane is all for following your passions and changing your career. That’s exactly what she did.

But she encourages approaching a career shift with a plan.

“For people that are wanting to pivot, I would pivot with information,” the senior director and founder of the Envisioning Studio at Google told Business Insider.

Lane, who started her career as a software developer and went on to create an AI prototyping lab that explores the impact of tech innovation on society, said that many people switch careers multiple times because they’re uncertain.

She said job seekers should gather as much information as possible to make sure that the career pivot they’re making is the right move.

That includes talking to people in the industry, watching YouTube videos about jobs that interest you, and trying out internships, Lane said. If you’re earlier in your career, you should also try to choose a college that provides opportunities to gain work experience.

The idea is to “constantly get some feedback,” Lane said.

Whether you’re just starting out in the workforce or looking to make a shift mid-career, changing careers is common. However, Lane’s advice comes amid an ongoing workforce transformation driven by AI advancements.

A 2025 World Economic Forum survey found that 41% of companies globally expect to reduce staff in the next five years because of the new tech, meaning more people may be forced to adjust.

“All the jobs are kind of evolving in this moment,” Lane said. “Everything’s kind of shifting. So you want to be in a space where you’re getting a lot of signals.”

That’s how Lane navigated multiple career pivots. After starting her career as a software developer, Lane moved to program management and then later on transitioned to leading AI ethics and society at Microsoft.

After nearly two decades at Microsoft, Lane saw an opportunity for companies to engage more directly in conversations about the tools they were developing. That inspired her to build a team of creative strategists, philosophers, and researchers focused on discussing technology at Google.

“I don’t like when technology is built, and then people have to deal with decisions that were made that weren’t really intentional,” Lane, who is also a visual artist, told BI.

Lane said when she was at Microsoft and was “poking around” for a new role, she met the person who would eventually become her boss at Google. She said he asked her what she wanted to do with her life and caught her off guard, so she asked if she could get back to him.

Even though she had an idea of her interests at the time, Lane said it was important to pause and think about what she really wanted.

“I wasn’t prepared to just answer that on the fly,” Lane said. “I thought, ‘if someone’s asking me, let me, reflect on it.'”

After some thought, Lane prepared a one-page pitch about the lab she wanted to create, which ended up becoming a reality.

Lane said once you get enough signals about what you like or don’t like, you should listen to what “lights you up.” If you find yourself following a path that doesn’t make you excited, maybe it’s not the right one.

Have you made a career pivot? We want to hear from you. Contact the reporter via email at aaltchek@businessinsider.com or Signal at aalt.19. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.