#202 Job Market Stagnation and Saturation - What STEM Women Need to Know

Spring may be in the air, but the job market still feels cold and unyielding. Emerging trends and statistics paint a stark picture:

• The CIPD reports that 25% of employers plan to make redundancies in the first quarter of 2025.
• Job market decline and increased competition: In November 2024, UK job vacancies were 12% below pre-pandemic levels.
• Academia is under strain: The Office for Students (OfS) predicts that 72% of UK universities will be operating beyond their financial means by 2025-26, with a potential sector-wide deficit of ￡1.6 billion, leading to cost-cutting measures.
• Sector-specific demand: While healthcare and technology sectors continue to seek talent, many industries face stagnation.
• AI is transforming the professional landscape, creating new job types while rendering others obsolete.

The Pressure to Do More with Less

As companies navigate economic uncertainty, workforce realignments are happening more frequently. The traditional annual review cycle is being replaced with quarterly restructuring, increasing job insecurity. In STEM, many professionals are now expected to deliver the same output with fewer resources, leading to stress, burnout, and frustration.

Imagine being part of a team of seven, suddenly reduced to two, yet still required to meet the same deadlines. Something has to give.

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” — Eric Hoffer

Being Superwoman Won't Save You

It might seem logical to double down and work even harder, under the belief that "If I just produce the best work, I will be safe, recognised, and rewarded." But this approach is flawed.

Relying on overworking as your job security strategy leads to burnout and poor health. Being the "safe and capable pair of hands" doesn’t necessarily secure your position. Managers leave. Organisational priorities shift. If you're not actively shaping your career, you're leaving it to chance.

This is not the time to "ostrich" — burying your head in the sand and hoping the storm will pass. This is the time to be intentional.

“From unconscious to conscious. Passive to proactive. Self-sabotage to self-belief. Bystander to architect. This is the way to an intentional career.” — Dr Hannah Roberts

The 4 Career Choices You Face

You have four options in a challenging job market:

1. Hunker down and hope for the best A risky strategy that can lead to unexpected job loss without a backup plan.
2. Quietly quit Doing the bare minimum might feel like self-preservation, but disengagement leads to disenchantment and career stagnation.
3. Optimise and future-proof your career Instead of merely surviving, you can take control: optimise how you work, personally and professionally develop, and position yourself for new opportunities.
4. Make a career move But don’t just move for the sake of moving thinking the grass is always greener. Define what you truly want, leverage your Career Pivots? Compass, and create a career that aligns with your values and goals.

The Career Pivots? Compass

At the heart of Intentional Careers for STEM Women (now available as an audiobook from the 8th March 2025 (?? Audible) is the Career Pivots? Compass, a six-step framework designed to help STEM women:

• Time and Energy Management: Reduce burnout and prioritise career development. Just 8% spend at least an hour every week on development, while 44% allocate no time to it at all. This is critical as 86% report not receiving any development feedback monthly.
• Overcoming Limitations: Rebuild confidence with the VOICE framework, helping women challenge self-doubt, adopt new strategies, and express themselves authentically. Despite career success, 44% struggle with self-criticism, and 31% fear being "found out".
• Leadership Pathways: Identify natural talents for authentic leadership. With 67% spending more than half their work hours on tasks that do not excite them, misaligned roles could be hurting women’s retention and productivity in STEM.
• Career Pivots?: Connect the dots between purpose-mission-vision, while avoiding the capability trap, disconnected vision, and career values conflicts to create an aligned and intentional career. With 89% saying that career transitions are practically and emotionally challenging, there is a clear demand for tools that address both aspects.
• Professional Positioning: Building a compelling personal brand that resonates with ideal roles. Yet, 78% underutilise LinkedIn as a networking tool for career growth.
• Propelling Strategies: Master salary negotiations, the first 90-day transition phase, and long-term personal and professional growth. With 65% feeling underpaid for their work, 100% feeling less than 5/10 confident to negotiate a salary for a new job, and 48% headhunted but struggling to thrive despite strong CVs, women in STEM need clear career support.

*Insights from my Career Accelerator Scorecard.

Why This Matters

An intentional career isn’t just about securing the next step. It’s about creating a fulfilling, sustainable career aligned with who you truly are. It requires inner work before external action.

“Investing in coaching when you’re at a career crossroads is the best use of your resources. The dividends pay for themselves.” — Bronwyn Friedlander

Reflect & Take Action

? Can you afford to wait to design your intentional career?

Your First 3 Steps

1. Step 1 ?? Benchmark your career for free: Take the Career Accelerator Scorecard and receive a personalised report. Start here.
2. Step 2 ?? Join the Intentional Careers? workshop (free, multiple dates available). Sign up here.
3. Step 3 ?? Join the Career Design Mastermind: Cohort 9 of my flagship six-month coaching programme starts in April 2025. Book a call to learn more.

As always, my inbox is open—I’m just an email away.

Keep opening up, Hannah

P.S. Intentional Careers for STEM Women (now available as an audiobook) is not just a guide for personal change; it’s also a rallying call to change the inequities in our societies, systems, culture and workplace paradigms. I loved being able to express my own written words with my voice in the audiobook version because never has there been a more critical time for women to have a seat at the table. Listen on ?? Audible │ Happy International Women's Day 2025.

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