Random Thoughts on the World of Job Search, 2026

When I first meet a new client, often assigned to me through one of the outplacement companies that I provide my talents through in job search strategy support, after discussing with the client the type of work they are looking to do next, I will share with them aspects of what to expect, in what I call “the world of job search, 2026.” The longer the client has been out of a formal job search, the more beneficial this is to them, so that they are not completely surprised as what to expect on the job search journey.

For example, we will have discussions on how their resume will never be 100% complete, but will likely need to be tweaked depending on the jobs to which they apply. Some of that is driven by the fact that resumes are now electronically screened by computer technology against the job description “and graded” to see how much a match that the candidate is for a position. The lower the score, the far less likelihood the candidate will be advanced for that position. If the candidate does make it past screening, I prepare them for the likelihood of multiple rounds of interviews, (perhaps as many as five or six rounds, sometimes more), as candidates for roles touch more areas in an organization, given today’s models of “flatter organization charts.” We will talk about items such as not hearing back from companies with which they have interviewed, (commonly called “ghosting”), especially if the client is used to o having had the courtesy in the past of being told if their candidacy would continue or not. Additionally, we also discuss and work together to evaluate if a job being pursued is one that is a realistic job, or possibly a “scam” by dishonest people to get client information and sometimes cash payment for services the job indicates the client will need.

In the last few years, I, as a job search strategy coach, have been exposed to changes in my work world. Two of the outplacement companies for which I worked have been bought up by other organizations, and I have found myself under “new management” with new policies on how I as a coach am expected both conduct and provide my services, and use administrative tools in those companies to track my progress with the client. As more people became a part of my profession of career coaching strategists, and the world of work became more a “virtual” environment, (think working from home anywhere from 2 to 5 days a week), new ideas and approaches to job search became the “hot topic” of the moment. Use of artificial intelligence tools being presented as “absolute musts” for the job searcher to use have become more the norm. In other instances, the presenting of job search as a series of online sites and tools, being the be all and end all of search, while the meeting with a coach only to be used “if necessary,” has become another popular approach that is advertised. Recently, I have been working on a “career fair”, where there has been a great deal of obsessing about potential attendees rating the value of the fair, based on if they get a conversation with a recruiter, as opposed to the concepts they will learn from the coaches and experts in the job search world that will be providing of their expertise, for free, as part of the fair.

So, when I evaluate where I fall on all these items and several more in the search process, here is what I believe. The methods I learned on career and job search strategy coaching from the Five O’Clock Club fifteen years ago, still govern much of my guidance to clients. Within those methods was a philosophy, “fads and phases come and go, but certain principles still hold true from generation to generation.” For example, the clients that I had who moved forward most successfully in their search in the last year, were very strong at defining who they were and the talents they offered. Additionally, they could convey that information both in writing and verbally. They were open to connecting with other professionals who they valued, investigated what those individuals knew of opportunities at companies where they worked, and at the same time were open to helping others if opportunities they came upon were not right for them. Clients that realized the job search was a “research project” and was their “job of the moment,” were the ones that also were the most successful. It may have taken them longer than they imagined to follow that next role, but in most instances, they found the right next role for them. Those are all basic Five O’Clock Club principles I learned so long ago.

If someone does not feel I am the right coach for them, I am not offended. I have a large network of professionals, who may be more appropriate for a client than I am. On the other hand, I know who I am in this profession, and if what I have to offer is right for you, I am going to give you all I can in terms of being a partner for you on your search. So, even though things “change in the world of search” staying true to who I am as a strategist in that world is how I can provide the most value to those I have the privilege to serve.

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