2025: The Dos and Don’ts of Job Search
Welcome to the December 2025 edition of the Job Guy newsletter. Each month I share stats, career tips, blog highlights, and client wins.
If you have a topic that you want covered drop me a note. This newsletter is built for job seekers, and your input shapes it.
This Month’s Topic:
2025: The Dos and Don’ts of Job Search
Everyone approaches job search and career direction differently. Each year I build an editorial calendar that covers a wide range of topics without sacrificing depth.
My December edition serves as a table of contents so you can quickly find what you need without scrolling through the entire year.
Don’t Allow Yourself To Become Unemployable
It is sad, but it happens all the time.
A professional reaches out to me because they have been let go.
They have been with the same company for 15 years and don’t have any professional connections outside of that company.
They have used the same proprietary systems to do their job, but those systems aren’t used anywhere else.
Therefore:
They can’t compete in the published jobs market because they don’t have required skills.
They can’t compete in the hidden job market because they have no network.
They have left all of their career maintenance until they are at their most desperate.
Your career needs routine maintenance just like your health, your home, and your finances.
A yearly check keeps you competitive and ready for change. Learn more about The Importance of an Annual Career "Self-Health Check"
Do Navigate A Sector Change (if needed)
Thousands of federal employees have found themselves in unfamiliar territory this year. While this may feel new, military veterans have been navigating this transition for decades. It is not insurmountable.
The first challenge is identifying the right roles. Focus on what the job requires you to do rather than what the job is called.
The second challenge is vocabulary. You need to use the language of your next sector in your resume, LinkedIn profile, interviews, and networking conversations.
Insider acronyms do not translate well outside your current environment.
Do not be intimidated if you are considering a sector change. Millions have done it and done it well.
Learn How to Navigate Your Career from Public to Private Sector
Don’t Be A Victim Of AI
AI anxiety is real, especially for mid and late‑career professionals.
Some roles are at risk, especially those built on repetitive tasks.
Most roles remain safe when professionals keep their skills current, including AI literacy.
Each field will feel AI differently, so staying current is the key.
For more info on AI’s impact on your field and how you can maintain your value, see Should You Be Afraid of AI?
Do Adjust Your Timing To Improve Your Odds
Timing matters more than most people realize.
There are peak hiring seasons.
There are days when applications are more likely to be read.
There are days and times when interviewers tend to be more receptive.
There are patterns that increase your chances of getting a yes when requesting networking meetings. Understanding these rhythms gives you an edge.
It is all laid out in The Best Times to do ANYTHING in a Job Search 2025 Edition.
Don’t Become Victim Of Bad Habits
Online applications are easy to submit, which means employers are flooded with them.
Many companies eliminate 90 percent of applicants before a human ever sees a resume.
Avoiding the habits that land you in that 90 percent can improve your results and protect your energy.
I share tips on the 5 Habits to Avoid in a Job Search.
Don’t Trust AI As You Sole Career Mentor
AI is a great tool for brainstorming, research, and proofreading.
It is not a substitute for your voice, your judgment, or your strategy.
AI is built on patterns. If the patterns are wrong, your content will be wrong.
Imagine if every career coach used AI to write the same resume article, none of them would stand out.
AI can support your story, but it cannot design your story.
Discover Why "AI vs. Human Coach" Is the Wrong Debate
Do Focus on Relationship vs. Calling In Favors
The strongest networks are built on generosity, not transactions.
If every conversation leads back to your agenda, you are doing it wrong. The best networkers offer help, insight, and connection year‑round.
Do it right by following these tips: Swapping Business Cards Over BBQ: Why Summer’s Slow Conversations Lead to Surprising Career Wins
Don’t Apply To Ghost Jobs
Ghosting is everywhere. Employers ghost candidates. Candidates ghost employers.
AI on both sides has diluted the quality of candidate pools and created a sense of futility.
Some posted jobs were never intended to be filled externally.
You cannot avoid ghost jobs completely, but you can improve your odds of spotting them.
Read more about Employer Ghosting: Why It Happens and What You Can Do About It.
Do Optimize Your Time In Your Search
Most people get hired through the hidden job market because it allows them to speak with hiring managers before competition forms.
Online applications are not a waste of time, but they are not the only strategy.
Invest your energy where it has the highest return.
January is a great time to make a resolution to conduct an effective job search. Explore Low Effort, Low Impact vs. High Effort, High Impact: Which Job Search Strategy Works?
Don’t Be Trapped In A Toxic Workplace
Most miserable professionals do not hate their work. They hate their boss, their culture, their instability, or their lack of balance.
There are reliable ways to spot these problems before you accept an offer.
For more, check out Culture Shock: How to Spot a Bad Job Before It Spots You?
Do Advance Your Career Through Networking
Holiday networking is one of the easiest ways to reconnect with people without making it about your job search.
But these same principles work all year long.
Read how to leverage Holiday Networking To Juice Your Career.
Job Guy Tip of the Month:
Job market news can be depressing. Unemployment rates going up, major corporate layoffs, uncertain economic conditions, and low application hit rates. Sigh.
At the risk of irritating the Chicken Little headline writers, let’s put things into perspective.
The unemployment rate for November 2025 is 4.6 percent. The long‑run U.S. average since 1948 is about 5.7 percent. It was around 10 percent during the 2009 recession and 14.7 percent during peak Covid. It is projected to be about 4.5 percent in 2026, which is considered full employment for economic calculation purposes.
There is also less competition. Workforce participation peaked at about 67 percent in 2000. It is 62 percent now due to an aging population and low birth rates. That five‑point drop translates to roughly 13 million fewer people in the labor force than we would have with higher participation.
Layoffs are estimated to have hit 1.0 percent of the workforce in 2025. In a typical year, layoffs run between 1.2 and 1.5 percent. Employers are holding onto workers more than usual, and employees are staying put more, too.
So, is this the best labor market ever? No. Fewer people are leaving jobs, which means fewer referrals and fewer insider tips on openings.
But this market is nowhere near disastrous. Do not let the headlines defeat you.
A Favorite LinkedIn Testimonial
Emma was a recent college graduate who knew she was interested in written content and had a pretty good idea of longer term goals. What wasn’t so clear was the best roles she should target to get her there. We teamed up to identify her strongest skills that she enjoyed using most and set out to vet the job market based on jobs that could leverage those skills.
As we reviewed roles together it because crystal clear that the type of employer was also very important. Writing content about subject matter that was of no interest was, well, of no interest! We learned that Emma would be best suited to launch a career developing content for a mission based organization.
Mission accomplished!
“I worked with John to outline my career goals, revamp my resume, and get a better idea of what fields and positions I could enter with my skillset, and I am so glad I did. Hiring John as my job coach was the best investment in my professional development I've ever made.
As a young professional at the start of my career, I had some broad ideas about the type of job I wanted, but John helped me refine my search to specific titles and roles that matched my interests and skills. After working with John, I have a better understanding of the next steps in my career, an amazing resume, and invaluable job searching tips I wouldn't have learned anywhere else. I highly recommend working with John Bates.”
