The Modern Job Search

EP 3119 Korn Ferry shared its thoughts about the job market. ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTERPeople hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS job search coaching and career advice globally because he makes job search and succeeding in your career easier. Schedule a discovery call to speak with me about one-on-one or group coaching during your job search at ⁠www. TheBigGameHunter.us. You will also find great info and job search coaching to help with your job search at ⁠⁠JobSearch. Community⁠⁠ You can get free copies of 25 Interview Questions and Answers, How to Craft a Compelling Elevator Pitch in 20 Seconds or Less, Get Ready for the Job Jungle, Diagnosing Your Job Search Problems, No BS Resume Advice, and Prove Your Worth First, Then Negotiate. Receive free weekly suggestions and more. Subscribe to No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the #1 podcast in Apple Podcasts for job search with more than 3100 episodes. Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/T⁠⁠heBigGameHunter⁠ We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included to ⁠www. TheBigGameHunter.us⁠ and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator. Not acknowledging his work or providing a backlink to ⁠www. TheBigGameHunter.us⁠ makes you subject to a $1000 penalty which you proactively agree to pay. Please contact us to negotiate the use of our content as training data.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  At Edward Jones, we believe rich is about taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your financial advisor personalizes your plan to help you preserve your progress and create something that lasts. Let's find your rich. Edward Jones. Member SIPC.

• 0:15Speaker 01

  UKG is the workforce operating platform with unified HR, payroll, and workforce management. Built to solve the unique challenges of frontline work. Powered by People First AI and decades of labor data, UKG turns workforce intelligence into real-time decisions around staffing, pay, compliance, and productivity, enabling every worker to confidently take action as work happens. Because when work works, everything works. Learn more at ukg.com/work. UKG, HR, Pay, and Workforce Management.

• 0:45Speaker 02

  All right, let's get right into it. If you're out there looking for a job, you know the feeling, right? It can feel like you're just shouting into a void. It's this huge, common frustration, and today, we're going to break down why it feels that way, and more importantly, what you can do about it. We'll be looking at some really sharp insights from the executive search firm Corn Ferry and their take on the modern labor market. Does this hit close to home? According to Corn Ferry, this is something they hear in pretty much every conversation about the job market today. It just perfectly captures that feeling of sending out application after application and crickets. If this is you, I want you to know you are not alone and you're not imagining things. This feeling is a core part of the job market right now. So what is really going on? Well, Corn Ferry has a name for it. They call it

• 1:29Speaker 02

  a vicious cycle. And this isn't just about more people looking for jobs. No, it's a deep mismatch between what people are applying for and what companies actually need. And, you know, technology has basically put this whole problem on steroids. Okay, this slide right here gets to the absolute heart of the problem. On one side, you've got job seekers, like you, maybe, targeting roles that, on the inside, are quietly being automated or just aren't a priority anymore. But on the other side, companies have these critical jobs they are desperate to fill, but they're not always the flashy, super sought-after positions. This mismatch is what fuels the entire frenzy, creating this tidal wave of applications for a pool of jobs that's Actually shrinking.

• 2:11Speaker 02

  So if it feels like the odds are completely stacked against you, well, the numbers actually back you up on that. Let's take a look at the hard data that makes this whole thing feel so incredibly difficult. Just look at this number. It is staggering. Corn Fairy's analysis shows that as many as 70% of all jobs are filled before they even get posted publicly. They go to people already inside the company or to referrals. Just let that sink in for a second. The huge majority of opportunities are already gone before you even see the job ad. So here's the bottom line. That entire chaotic external job market, we're all fighting over what's left, that other 30%. So when you're just one of hundreds, or sometimes even thousands, of applicants getting filtered through some automated system,

• 2:56Speaker 02

  yeah, landing an interview really can feel like winning the lottery. It's not just in your head, it's a statistical reality. So how did we get to this point? A huge piece of the puzzle is that we've moved away from the most fundamental part of finding work, simple human connection. Let's explore what's been lost in this new tech-first world.

• 3:16Speaker 00

  At Edward Jones, we believe rich is more than caring about the latest and greatest. It's also taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your dedicated financial advisor meets you where you are, with personalized financial strategies that help protect what matters, so you can preserve your progress while creating a path forward. The key to being rich is knowing what counts. Let's find your rich together. Edward Jones. Member SIPC.

• 3:45Speaker 01

  UKG is the workforce operating platform with unified HR, payroll, and workforce management. Built to solve the unique challenges of frontline work. Powered by People First AI and decades of labor data, UKG turns workforce intelligence into real-time decisions around staffing, pay, compliance, and productivity, enabling every worker to confidently take action as work happens. Because when work works, everything works. Learn more at ukg.com/work. UKG, HR, Pay, and Workforce Management.

• 4:16Speaker 02

  And this slide just lays it out so clearly. The old way was personal. You could literally walk into a place, talk to a real person, or have a friend say, "Hey, you should meet so-and-so." The new way is loud, and it's totally impersonal. It's all about trying to beat these things called applicant-tracking systems. That's the software that scans your resume, and you're competing with a flood of other people. The human part? It's pretty much been replaced by an algorithm. You know, Korn Ferry uses this perfect analogy from Alice in Wonderland. With all this automated noise and no clear direction, the whole job search can feel completely disorienting. It's just like the Cheshire Cat says, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." Which, in the job search, usually means you end up going nowhere.

• 5:01Speaker 02

  But here's the good news: It does not have to be this way. That feeling of being lost is actually a signal. It's a sign that it's time to try something different. So instead of just applying randomly, Korn Ferry lays out a real, strategic plan to find a better path forward. And this is the million-dollar question, isn't it? How do you actually break out of that frustrating cycle? How do you stop reacting and start being proactive? Let's get into the strategy Korn Ferry suggests. Okay, here it is: Korn Ferry's six-step plan to stop shouting into the void and start making real, targeted connections. It all begins with "Know thyself," looking inward before you look outward. Then, it's about targeting your efforts. But look at the last few steps: network, network, network.

• 5:45Speaker 02

  Find a warm introduction, have a plan. It's all about connection and being systematic. This is the exact opposite of a random scattershot approach. And really, when you boil it all down, this isn't just a new to-do list. It's about a complete shift in your mindset. It's about moving from a place of desperation to a place of purpose. And I want to leave you with this last thought from Korn Ferry, because it's so powerful. Desperation is loud. Strategy is calm confidence. When everyone else is just frantically clicking "Apply," having a thoughtful strategy is what makes you stand out. It's not just more effective. It projects this quiet confidence. So the question isn't just about how to get a job. It's, "In a market this noisy, are you gonna keep shouting? Or are you gonna build the connections that let you speak directly to the right person?"

• 6:33Speaker 00

  At Edward Jones, we believe rich is more than caring about the latest and greatest. It's also taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your dedicated financial advisor meets you where you are, with personalized financial strategies that help protect what matters, so you can preserve your progress while creating a path forward. The key to being rich is knowing what counts. Let's find your rich, together. Edward Jones. Member SIPC.