The COVID-19 pandemic brought about the Great Resignation when people left their jobs en masse in the spring of 2021. This resulted in a labor shortage, leading to companies scrambling for workers and offering various perks and benefits. 

But that was three years ago, and the job market has since shifted to a point where companies have become more conscious about costs. If you want to boost your chances of getting hired, you must reframe your thinking, says Bert Bean, CEO of staffing firm Insight Global. 

That change in approach may include skill development. According to Forbes, online courses and workshops are ways to gain valuable and relevant experiences.

A global recession loomed in 2023, frightening companies and urging them to pause the expansion of their workforce. According to Glassdoor’s lead economist, Daniel Zhao, many businesses continue to live in that fear. 

“They don’t want to overhire into a recession and then have to lay people off,” Zhao told CNBC. 

As a possible solution, Bean advises looking into other industries that have increased their hiring efforts in the past few months. These include healthcare, government, and construction.

If you’re fresh out of college, landing a job would be an uphill battle in 2024. According to research by SHL Global, companies are downsizing their hiring of new graduates by 5.8% in 2024. The reason: AI is slowly replacing entry-level jobs. 

But surprisingly, it hasn’t deterred the optimism of graduates from honing their skills and building a career. Handshake’s report noted, “[Graduates] are clear on their priorities—stability, location, and an employer’s reputation as a great place to work.”

You may want to narrow down your choices if the job market is overly saturated. In a viral TikTok video, recruiter Kourtlynn Faith advises being more intentional about your approach to the job search. 

Instead of applying for multiple roles in every LinkedIn job opening in your industry, Faith recommends going after specific roles you know you would be a good fit for. A more strategic approach may boost your chances of landing a job that suits you best.

We’d also like to hear from you, readers. Have you been in a frustrating job search where a recruiter made it more difficult for you? If so, how did you handle the situation? Let us know in the comments!