The Complexity of Job Hunting: What Can We Do?

Entry-level jobs are becoming more and more difficult to land, and in order to survive in the modern job market, you need to differentiate yourself. Socialization and connections have proven to be valuable tools in this endeavor, but this all calls into question a couple of things about the state of the job market and whether or not a big change needs to occur.

It is hard to deny that securing employment has become increasingly daunting over the last couple of years, especially for those who are entering the job market for the first time. Expectations from employers have become increasingly difficult to meet. According to TheInterviewGuys.com, 35% of entry-level jobs on LinkedIn require years of prior experience, some requiring up to five. Alongside this, according to The Guardian, in a poll of 850 world business leaders, 31% were looking for possible AI solutions before considering hiring someone, making it even tougher when so many of the jobs being replaced are entry-level. Our generation of students and future workers has gotten used to the increasing amount of effort that we are being expected to give, and has risen to many challenges in a system that seems to expect more and more from us every year. All of this raises new questions for employers to grapple with. If everyone is putting in the effort, what can set us apart from the rest? Should employment be based on innate talent, luck, intelligence or any number of other factors? Does the entire system need an overhaul? 

Something that comes up often in conversations around this topic is connections. When someone has many connections within the field they are looking to get into, they will have more opportunities to meet more and more people in that field. Someone with connections can make the process of finding a job simpler by asking around among their peers and finding opportunities among individuals that they know. Having a sturdy web of connections also gains possible recommendations and trust from employers. When employers are presented with recommendations from a trusted source to go along with a potential future employee, that person will seem a lot more appealing. Knowing someone won’t guarantee you success in the job market, but it will rarely hurt your chances.

Regardless of how many people you know, how much effort you extend, how talented you are, and how much time you dedicate, all you can ever truly do is improve your chances. In a world where employers are often sorting through a large number of applicants, all of whom extend herculean efforts in order to gain recognition, landing a job is often dependent on factors that you simply cannot know before it is already too late. 

In my opinion, this is indicative of a dire need for change. I do not believe that the job market can ever be completely fair, but the current system is far too dependent on luck and invisible factors. Alongside this, it participates in the marginalization of disabled people, often putting individuals with disabilities at a huge disadvantage by requiring so much in an entry-level job. I understand that the bar of expectations has been raised because of the disproportionate amount of potential employees to jobs, but the expectations that are in place are unfair (and lead to burnout and anxiety). 

While the state of the job market is not entirely depressing, and there continue to be methods to put yourself ahead, like connections, it is hard for me to deny that there needs to be change. While I cannot claim to be an expert on the technical details of this topic, I have seen the way that my peers, family and friends have been affected by the expectations put on us. We live in a world that is growing increasingly anxious every passing year. People are working harder and harder just to live, and many just can’t keep up. I couldn’t tell you what specific changes need to be made, but even someone like me can see that change does need to happen.