Recent Challenges Navigating the Employment Market

Jason Brinkley 

Major restructuring of the US federal system has led to widescale changes and reductions in force in many agencies. These changes created ripple effects that led to further reductions among federal contractors, technology providers, and adjacent services, including higher education. As a result, the current labor market faces several unique challenges, especially for those who work in the statistical and data sciences. Coupled with major changes in technology due to the rapid adoption of AI and the shifting in remote and hybrid work (dramatically increasing the candidate pools for each job), many are struggling to find or maintain continued employment. 

I am no exception. These changes hit me personally as a federal contractor in April because of the reductions in force. I spent a little more than three months searching for my next opportunity. My search was broad and exhaustive, as I applied for positions in health care, technology, education, and professional services. I’m fortunate to have much going for me: a doctorate in statistics (a versatile degree); a large network of colleagues; and nearly two decades’ experience doing a wide range of analyses and playing in so many backyards that it would make John Tukey jealous.

I applied for 182 jobs that resulted in 27 interviews (across first, second, and third levels) and two high-quality offers. 

Reflecting on this experience, I found myself wanting to summarize some of what I learned, so over the course of 10 days, I wrote a short blog series for my LinkedIn page. This article summarizes the key insights from that series. Although the LinkedIn series touches on several points, I highlight three key themes here: the AI barrier; the importance of networking; and the help of recruiters. While these themes are far from inclusive of all the challenges, they are the ones I see as critical considerations. I highly suggest job seekers join online communities—such as LinkedIn—to discuss pros and cons of specific available tools.

The AI Barrier

Companies are seeing a deluge of high-quality talent applying for every open position, especially those that are remote-eligible. When there is a flood of applications for every opening, tools are needed to help separate those qualified from those who are not. A remote job posting for a data scientist or analyst can receive more than 5,000 applications from all over the world. AI helps employers cut through the static and provide a smaller cohort of applications to be reviewed by humans. Therefore, the job-seeker’s goal is to make it into the top 100 applications to cross the AI barrier. 

My advice is to expand your résumé as much as possible. Gone are the days of the simple one- or two-page document. Consider the first page of your résumé the main source for AI scanning and matching; focus page one on AI and subsequent pages on human review. Résumés should be tailored to job applications with language that is easy for those systems to absorb. You already understand the importance of having interoperable data; you should think of your résumé as a data point and plan accordingly. Are you finding that when you upload your résumé into a job portal it is always misattributing your education or professional experience? Consider changing your résumé format to make it easier for those systems to read. Professional résumé coaches can be a huge help here for folks with longer résumés. 

Your Network Is Everything

The AI barrier creates a homogenous pool of candidates with the exact skills that match the job description, making it even harder for manual review. Therefore, standing out in the smaller pool of candidates has become an even bigger challenge, which is why networking is more important than ever. 

LinkedIn has become the premier platform for social networking among US professionals and was my go-to source for my recent job hunt. My network was instrumental in finding opportunities, gaining referrals so I could get past the AI barrier, and strategizing with others facing similar challenges. If you plan to use LinkedIn as your sole mechanism for job hunting, know it has algorithms that guide the content you see. I highly recommend investing in the premium tier to help you reach new individuals. Personal experience showed my content was different before and after that investment. Similarly, constantly explore your network, decide how much of it is isolated to your current environment, and connect with new groups to expand your opportunities. Do not wait until you need a network to grow a network. 

Finally, do not just lean on your network to help find opportunities. Traditionally, folks used their network to help get their foot in the door, and I recommend job seekers expand the use of their network as they are able and feel comfortable. If a friend has helped you get seen by a particular company, ask them for personal insights about some of the people you will be speaking with. Ask peers and mentors—especially those familiar with the types of jobs you are applying to—to do mock interviews (or informational interviews) so you can sharpen your message. 

Recruiters Are Your Friends

The rise of AI in employment systems has spurred a parallel rise in companies using recruiters to fill key positions. There are company-specific recruiters and recruiters who work independently or within employment firms. They can be found and networked with on LinkedIn and tend to have an inside track on open positions. When reaching out to a recruiter, be brief and target the opportunity you hope to discuss. Their job is to match people with jobs so make that part easy for them. Respect their time and don’t be pesky when doing outreach and follow-up. Likewise, if a recruiter reaches out to you when you’re not interested or looking, a simple reply of “I’m not looking at this time” is sufficient. They are reaching out to many others and not looking to have a detailed back-and-forth with each person, especially those who are not interested.

Final Thoughts

Details, recommendations for specific tools, and stories (including a lot of humor about my misadventures and failures) can be found in my LinkedIn series mentioned in the sidebar below. However, I want to underscore a few points here:

• No job is 100% safe. We have seen recently instances in which qualified individuals were cut indiscriminately. In response to my LinkedIn series, I received many responses and private messages that started off as, “I never thought this could happen to me” or “I was completely blindsided.” Those of you dealing with this are not alone. Prepare for that potential by keeping your résumé up to date and your professional network strong. Also, give back to the community and recruiters as much as you can. 
• The emotions and stress created from a sudden termination are a big deal, and working on maintaining your mental health is key.
• There is no one mechanism that guarantees success in the job hunt. Different people can use the same techniques and methods and be on the job market for three weeks, three months, or three years. Life is more luck than we would like it to be and sometimes success is a convergence of the right person with the right mindset at the right moment.