U.S. jobseekers are having a rough year. Only about 13% say their job search is going well, according to ZipRecruiter’s recent Jobseeker Confidence Survey, while 43% say it’s going poorly. Jobseeker confidence has also hit its lowest point since early 2022.
“I think 2024 has been so challenging of a job market,” says Stefanie Fackrell, an HR consultant who’s worked in talent acquisition at companies like Nvidia and Google It’s “the worst job market I’ve seen since 2008 when I graduated from university.”
Whether you’re experiencing challenges looking for work or you’re simply looking for ways to build your career in 2025, here are Fackrell’s best three tips to set yourself up for success.
‘You should always be trying to refine’ skills
First, look for opportunities to upskill.
“Problem-solving, project management, communication,” says Fackrell, “I think you should always be trying to refine those and improve those, no matter where you are in your career journey.” There are lots of ways to build your skills, depending on what you’re interested to learn.
“I know a lot of universities have various free programs that you can take,” she says. You can look into courses on Coursera, Udemy or LinkedIn Learning. Search YouTube for relevant videos and see if industry organizations offer programs as well.
‘Always, always, always network’
Second, “always, always, always network,” says Fackrell, “and try to find mentors.”
These can be colleagues at your company who are especially good at what they do, people you met in professional Slack or Discord communities — however you encounter potential mentors or good connections in your work life, ask if you can take them out to coffee to learn more about their careers.
If you’re building a mentor-mentee relationship, Fackrell recommends checking in once a month. If your relationship is more casual, once a quarter is enough. The point is, “the relationship that you started cultivating and building last August,” she says, “that might be fruitful next March.”
Figure out ‘what is translatable between’ industries
Finally, if you’re a jobseeker, specifically, and “you’re pushing 12 months in your search, I would start thinking about [whether it’s] time to pivot,” she says.
Consider other industries you might be interested in exploring. Are there skills from your current work experience that could be applicable in other jobs? “If you’re a recruiter, look at a job description for a project manager,” she says. “What is translatable between being a recruiter and a project manager?”
Once you’ve narrowed in on a different industry, “try to change either the narrative of your resume to make that pivot, or if there is a skills gap,” she says, “take a project management course or certification to add that to your skill set and to your resume.”
You can also talk to experts in the field or hire a career coach if you think they could help you get hired.
Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC’s online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.
Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.
