A new job… in this economy?

If, for whatever reason, you find yourself looking for a job right now. It’s going to be ok. I know, there’s a lot of noise. Everyone has something to say about the current state of the Australian (Global) job market. There have been plenty of mass redundancies, tectonic shifts in the industry, and something folks are calling “The Millennial Career Crisis”. I, for one, do not believe it’s a crisis. But that’s just me. 

So, what do you do if you find yourself needing to look for a new job? How can you protect yourself? And, frankly, what is the best use of your time? In this economy, should you be doing things a little differently? 

Let me break it down for you.

1. The best use of your time 

05 August, 2025

Is there a good time to look for a job?

Job Seeker

By Sadie Said

Update your career story: With facts only

I know you’ve heard it before. A clear career story is helpful to have before you start job hunting. It can be overwhelming, though, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve thought about your career progress—and obviously, even more so if you’re in a tight spot re: looking for a new job. 

In my experience and with many of my clients, the most overwhelming part of updating or writing a career story is all the work that goes into how it’s written. I often see people get caught up, ruminating on whether the story is unique or interesting enough. 

For now, don’t focus on how your career story is written. Focus, instead, on the facts:

• How many additional years of experience do you have? 
• What industries or sectors have you worked in? 
• What type of projects have you worked on? And how many?
• What new certifications or qualifications do you have?  
• What do you think of when you think of the best work you've done? 

Rather than rewriting your entire career story, update the facts. And move on. All you need to be able to do is describe what you’ve been working on most recently, peppering this with facts to show the depth and nuance in your experience. 

2. The one thing you can do a little differently in your job search

Tell everyone you know: Hack your loose tie network 

We all know that 70% or so of job seeking is networking and relationships. I’ve said it here before, it’s all about who you know. The thought of networking in times of heightened stress can be daunting. 

28 April, 2025

Building Your Creative Network: How To Make Your Own Career Safety Net

Job Seeker

By Barrie Seppings

Rather than getting into an endless loop of scrolling to find the best networking event to attend. Or drafting LinkedIn message after LinkedIn message that you might not actually send, spend time telling everyone you already know about what you’d like to do next. Tell all your friends and family about your grand plans. Tell your barista, your run club mates, and people you see at church. Talk people through your new career story and let them know exactly what opportunities you’d like next. 

This helps in two ways: 

1. You get comfortable with your new career story and asking for what you want/need. 
2. There's a high chance the people you tell will tell other people, and it's those other people who will have opportunities. 

I’m not making this up, either. A quick Google will demonstrate just how powerful our loose or weak-tie network is. Stick to the facts, use plain language and, critically, lay out exactly what kind of work you’re looking for. 

No need to overcomplicate things more than that. Tell everyone you know, be relentless about it. I mean, try not to corner your uncle at the next family function… but then again, maybe your uncle can handle it, and he probably knows a lot of people. Right?! 

3. How to protect yourself

Protect your peace: Strengthen your position  

We’re all out here, doing our best, with what we’ve got. And with the constant proliferation of information on the web, I’m surprised we’re able to get anything done at all. 

1. Limit what you let in
   Although sometimes it may not feel like it, we can control what we see on socials. Limiting our exposure to the noise is the most effective way to get a reprieve. When you're in the depths of a job search, try to stick to the social platforms that are going to help you move forward. If it's not helping you, maybe it's actually hindering your progress. 

30 July, 2025

In a tough job market, building your personal brand on LinkedIn isn't optional.

Job Seeker

By Karen Monjo

2. Limit who you let in
   In 2026, not everything you read online is helpful. I mean, look, not everything is true either, but true or not, not everything is helpful. Be selective about who you see as an expert online. If, when you're listening to or watching something, and you don't feel quite right, then maybe that expert isn't for you.
   
   This is distinct from believing everything you see. It's easy to see something and decide on the spot if you think it's true or not. If, however, you've put someone in the expert category, it's less about them being truthful and more about whether they're being helpful. They may have factual, truthful commentary, but if that isn't helping you, it's not for you. 

But, you know who will always be up for helping you? Recruiters. 

Get in touch with an industry recruiter who’s right for you. The team at Aquent are great if you’re in the design, creative, marketing, or tech space. 

Be realistic: Tell yourself the truth 

It is SO easy to lie to ourselves. I’m confident of this because of the number of errands I tell myself I’m going to get done every weekend. Wow. I cannot even imagine the World Record I would break if I actually did them all. 

So, when it comes to your job search, be honest about what you can actually achieve. Putting together a realistic job search strategy is the easiest way to protect yourself. No one is updating their resume, tweaking their portfolio, writing draft cover letters, researching companies, searching for 10x roles and applying to all those roles—with quality applications—in one day, while also continuing to live their life. 

To create a realistic job search strategy, start with your current life calendar. Look over what happens in your life already, and find some days where there is some space for another activity. 

In this space, plot out one job search activity at a time. That’s it. One activity at a time.

Over the course of a few days, maybe a week or two, you will be able to update your resume and research the companies you want to work for, and meaningfully move forward with your job search.

If you’re looking at your current life calendar and there isn’t any space. You need to create space. There’s no need to cram in job search activities. Instead, look at what you need to say no to, so you can say yes to your job search.

If you’d like further support, I created an online tool to help you on your job seeker journey.  I’m always happy to connect via LinkedIn—drop by and introduce yourself.

Job Seeker (151)