“The market is terrible right now”
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Three ways to access the market others can't see
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The Job Market is Terrible Right Now
I've been hearing a lot of "the job market is terrible right now" from professionals in transition lately, and I have a strong opinion about that statement.
Being in transition is hard. Let's just say that out loud. The market is genuinely challenging right now, and pretending otherwise doesn't help anyone. However, I've seen my fair share of what works and what doesn't, as I speak with executives in transition every week. And have been since 2006. Even when market conditions are the same for everyone, some professionals experience scarcity, while others find opportunity. The difference isn't the market itself. It's how they see it and how they show up in it.
When you approach your search believing there's nothing good out there, that belief shapes what you experience. You might apply halfheartedly. You might network from desperation instead of confidence. You might settle for opportunities that don't actually excite you because you think that's all there is.
But what if your experience of this challenging job market could be different? What if it's not just about the conditions everyone's facing, but about the market you're able to access based on how you're positioning yourself?
If this resonates, I have some perspective that might shift your perspective. If it lands, great. If it doesn't, no worries. Or perhaps you're thinking about someone you know who is in a career transition and might need to hear another perspective too. If so, please forward it along. Sharing is caring.
This is an invitation to think differently - because when you think differently, you achieve different results.
I had two conversations recently that couldn't have been more different from each other. The first executive told me, "There's absolutely nothing good out there. I've been looking for six months, and no one is hiring." The second executive had just accepted an outstanding offer.
Same market. Same timeframe. Completely different experiences
Here's the difference: the struggling executive was approaching her search from a place of fear.
And when you approach anything from fear...what happens? Do you think that makes the process go faster or slower? For almost two decades I've seen in from the recruiter seat - you often get what you're looking for. Think it's going to be awful? It will be. Think it'll be a learning experience - approaching it with curiosity and a genuine desire to meet new people and understand the problems they're solving? The market appears completely different.
Here's the good news: There are still plenty of people landing new full-time, consulting, and fractional roles. This is FACT. I see it every single week.
Think about it this way: it's like two executives using different GPS settings to reach the same destination. One is stuck in traffic on the main highway (job boards and haphazard networking), competing with everyone else for the few visible opportunities. The other knows the back roads (art of relationship building and strategic positioning) and arrives while the first is still sitting in traffic.
The executive who landed quicker? She wasn't smarter or more qualified. She understood something crucial: Where you look and how you position yourself determines what market you experience - just like your GPS settings determine which route you take.
What I see separating the executives who find opportunities from those who don't
The ones finding opportunities:
Position themselves as the solution for specific, expensive problems companies need solved
Build relationships before they need them
Understand their unique value and can articulate it clearly
Look beyond posted positions to access the hidden market
The ones seeing scarcity:
Apply to posted jobs and wonder why nothing happens
Network without clear positioning or value proposition
Wait for opportunities to appear instead of creating them
Believe what everyone else is saying about the market
Three ways to access the market others can't see
Stop fishing in empty ponds. If you're only applying to posted positions, you're competing with hundreds of other qualified executives for roles that may already have internal candidates. Start building relationships with decision-makers before positions are posted. (listen to my audio version HERE as I go into more depth about this)
Position yourself as a solution, not a candidate. Instead of "I'm looking for a VP role," try "I help companies turn around struggling divisions by [specific methodology]. My last turnaround generated $5M in new revenue within 18 months."
Create your own opportunities. Reach out to companies you'd love to work for - whether they have posted positions or not. Be genuine. Share why you are drawn to this company’s mission. Share your heart. Ask them about their problems. You'll be amazed at how often this sparks conversations about roles that don't yet exist.
Your experience of the market is a direct reflection of your strategy for accessing it.
Your Turn →
If you're a professional in transition and tired of hearing how terrible the market is, OR you are looking to go out on your own (and seriously scared about business development), I'm offering my Career Alignment Accelerator. We'll dial in your messaging, your value prop and help you access the job market others can't see by positioning you strategically and teaching you where the real opportunities live.
The opportunities are there. The question is: are you willing to see this differently? I'd love to help. [Get more info]
With deep belief in your magnificence,
Laura