Sadly, there were quite a few redundancies in Q4 2024 - I think that several agencies making cuts decided to do it before Christmas rather than in January - there is never a good time to share such news with employees.
So, as a result of this, my days are spent talking to quite a few people who are not currently in a role and who are spending a lot of their time applying for jobs. I always recommend to candidates that they should spread their job-hunting wide. Yes, talk to recruiters, check out LinkedIn, Have a look at other job boards, talk to ex-colleagues etc. I know it's January and for many of us, it's a tricky time of the year anyway - dark days and nights, the weather (particularly right now!), a major come down from the high of December, tackling diet and booze - the list goes on. So I feel for people who have the added challenge of being out of work in January.
Many of my out of work candidates are doubly down at the moment because they feel they are getting a high number of rejections for the roles that they are applying for. For the most part, these rejections are an automated response and with each rejection comes both a knock to one's sense of self but also frustration that their CV has just been automatically thrown out of the basket.
For someone who is out of work, it's very challenging to stay positive. The market is not particularly buoyant at the moment which means that the few roles that are out there are oversubscribed and there is a lot of competition. Clients too are not prepared to hire unless an individual ticks all the boxes and they'd rather wait to find the right person rather than take someone who is not 'perfect'.
When you're not working, there is a theory that you need to be looking for a new role 100% of the time. I don't subscribe to that. You'd go mad fairly quickly. What I recommend to people is that they spend perhaps up to 3 hours a day on the job hunt but to then take the time to do something for yourself that you wouldn't have the time or inclination to do when you are working full time. I know that finding a new role is a priority but it is important to ensure that your job hunting time-frame is productive and to make sure you don't 'doom scroll' jobs that just are not right for you so it's important to give yourself some time boundaries.
One of the most important things to be aware of is to assess whether the jobs you are applying for, particularly online, are relevant. It's tempting to apply for everything that you see but I'd say that 90% of the time, my candidates who are experiencing the high rejection rate would admit that they've probably applied for a fair few roles where they didn't really fit the role requirements. Whether it's an automated rejection or not, if they analysed in detail the 'nos', they'd accept that perhaps, these were not their dream roles either.
When you are working with a recruiter, an advantage is that clearly you are speaking to a real person. If someone has applied to me online, I'm more than happy to talk through why I think a role isn't right for them - I can give the candidate context as to what my client is looking for and the rejection doesn't feel like a rejection, it's more of a ruling something out because it isn't right for either party. That said, I may be able to offer other opportunities that are more suitable and in some circumstances if I find that on talking to the individual, I can see something they would be able to offer the client, I can talk to the client directly so that they know more information than just the CV provides. Sometimes I do successfully place 'wild cards' and in these situations, it's as a direct result of me knowing a client particularly well, having worked with them over several years and knowing when I can bend the rules a little. Equally, the opposite is true, I know when I can't!
Online job applications are all very well but they do make it very easy to hit the 'apply' button. In the old days, you'd write a covering letter which would enable you to pitch yourself to the client (whether it would be read or not is another thing) and I do try to encourage candidates to tailor their CV to specific opportunities which again is going to increase the chance of your CV being noticed.
So as with any kind of marketing that you'd be recommending to your own clients. When it comes to finding a job, it's important to ensure you are getting your targeting right. Applying for relevant roles where you tick the boxes of what the client is looking for...you'll undoubtedly see your rate of success improving. It's also important to talk to Recruiters who will be honest and realistic with you and that you trust them to be working with your best interests at heart. I don't like to be the computer that says no but if I do say that something isn't right for you, it's not. If I think there is a possibility that a client will be interested, I'll be on it. And if I think they won't, I'll tell you why.
Finally, persistence pays off. Keep a rolling number of applications and conversations on the go. I know it's hard when you are not working and it can feel like a very thankless task. However, in recruitment, it's often about the timing. Don't give up. Good luck!
By Fiona Christian. 08/01/2025.