The recession job market is back, this is what you need to know…

The 2009 recession job application issue is back. Did we learn from the last recession?

What is that problem?

Reduction of jobs + increase of available candidates = VOLUME of applications to roles.

But that is an oversimplification of the market.

Companies will get volumes of candidates to their jobs, and candidates will make massive amounts of applications. For obvious reasons, they need a job!

The problem is, this helps no one, but if we all understood the problem, we might break the system – during this downturn job market.

The job market is like a pyramid.

The number of jobs in certain skills or types of roles or salary bandings will dictate where you are on the pyramid of jobs.

Normally - Low-level jobs, will be plentiful, but candidates for these roles will too be plentiful.

Medium paid, will be less, and the pool of candidates will be less.

And so on, leading to the top of the pyramid with very less and very high level or Niche end jobs. More you get paid, the more than likely there are fewer jobs.

In a recession market – if you strip off 10, maybe up to 40% of the market from each level, you have candidates above the line seeking employment in their zone of the Pyramid, and now below because there are fewer jobs, they start to look below their zone.

WHY? if you go back to your Maslow chart – their motivators will change their job hunting habits. Survival = Need a job.

This then puts pressure on the person to apply for all jobs, which in turn, puts pressure on the zone of jobs below them, where there is already a pressure of other people searching for jobs in that zone.

Then with time, and desperation to pay bills, people in the higher up zones of that pyramid, start dropping further down, creating a massive oversubscription of candidates in areas of the job market, where there is already high competition of candidates.

The balance of the market gets destabilised. And from a client and recruiters’ perspective, applications go from an average of 10 per role to 100s per role, even 1000s.

Companies may like getting more applications, but do they want applications from the higher zones of the job market pyramid?  

The conversation from 2009 will resurrect itself. Especially if you are used to a more senior role or higher paid.

Your future plans will be brought into question.

What will you do, when the higher paid role presents itself in the next 12 months? And for a company planning to navigate a weird market, this is extremely important. I know there isn’t really a real loyalty to a company anymore, but what companies are looking for, is longevity for their investment in you.

The natural answer is “I’m here to stay” but it's not me you have to convince.

What are the solutions?

Whenever you are threatened with a job loss from whatever reason. We panic. We NEED to earn money to live. And it’s a natural thing to do. Some of us have just burned savings living the past 4 months in a pandemic. Some of us, have mortgage/credit card/loan payments coming back. Some of us are in a dire situation right now. And I totally get it.

But I say, endure. Focus on the area and skills you already have and focus your job hunt in the market you are the strongest right now.

Your career plan right now has to be put on hold. If you were counting on being that manager by 30 or saving for a boat by 40. Then sadly we have to make the ultimate of sacrifices and literally stick to what we know. It could mean taking that sales role in a company you didn’t really want to work for? but if that means you earn money and can put together a semblance of a career from it, then it’s a job – but it’s a job where fewer questions will be asked, you’re in a better position to deflect your competition – and you can sell yourself stronger, than trying to explain yourself.

And that is the key to this, you want to be in a position to sell yourself, not explain yourself, why you’re applying for this role.

“An attacking position in a job interview, is better than a defensive position” – I just made that quote up, and I am pretending it in the “Art of War”. But we know its true. It’s better to hold the cards.

What if your sector is on its arse?

It will be more challenging for you, than anyone else looking for a role. And I get that.

However, that is where you need to change your strategy and thought process completely. I personally think hammering out 100s of application a day, to jobs you’re not quite right for, or you believe you are, and you know it’s a massive stretch – is the right solution for you.

Maybe the above advice, where you endure might be still the right course of action for you.

Maybe it's not. Maybe you need to face the fact its dead, and there is nothing you can do.

That’s when you need to work out, what it is you can do next, what is out there, you can fit into. AND not just what, but where too?

• Recession job hunting is not easy,
• but don’t make it harder,
• don’t frustrate yourself into thinking its all against you.
• Play to your strengths,
• be patient,
• keep away from a large pool of candidates (which tend to be on most job boards, applying for every job),
• be tactical in your approach
• Research a company, or a recruiter, and talk to them!

Good luck, it's a tough market, and you deserve a good job.