Is this the end of the labor market era?

The job search process so far has been like choosing a series on Netflix – you don’t know what to choose, because there are so many possibilities. Employers bent over backwards so that the candidates chose them, inventing new, more and more creative benefits. And recruiters? They did everything to hit the tastes of the candidates when they presented them with an offer. Qualified applicants seemed spoiled by the number of benefits when choosing a job. But how did it start?

Where did the employee market come from?

As the economy grew faster, more and more foreign investors became interested in the Polish market. This allowed, inter alia, the development of outsourcing – despite the same level, the services provided in Poland turned out to be much cheaper than in the countries where their clients came from. In this way, we quickly found ourselves in a position to create more jobs than people who could – or at least in some areas. In addition, the entire job search process has become much simpler and more accessible than a few years earlier.

Skeptics still say that the employee market is a myth. Ultimately, the employer still dictates the terms. Are you sure? When analyzing the market, we consider aspects such as location, company size, industry or candidate’s competences, it will quickly turn out that the latter have the greatest impact on the current situation on the labor market. Why? An exceptionally long good period of economic prosperity contributed to a reduction in the unemployment rate and an increase in wages. It also directly translates into increased employee expectations. It was logical for economists to predict that the economy would slowly slow down.

How to look for a job now?

The methodology of searching for a job has not changed much in itself. Job boards with job offers are still in operation, although there are definitely fewer offers. Probably the worst is behind us – the biggest drop in job offers occurred in March, April and May.

Apart from traditional methods of searching, it is worth following trends from the recruitment world. An example is using hashtags with the appropriate keywords. When you post a job search, it’s likely that a lot of recruiters will come to you this way. If, on the other hand, this is the industry that interests you – use the newly learned hashtags to find more posts that may contain job offers that interest you.

How to deal with the dynamic situation on the labor market?

Changes in the current situation are happening even faster. Therefore, one of the basic habits you need to develop is labor market monitoring. Now the situation is related to the economy – it can open the way to a completely new sector, where you will use your skills! Flexibility will be the most desirable feature among employees for the coming years. It is thanks to her that we will be able to adapt to the current reality and quickly adapt to changes.

What, as a candidate, should you take care of now?

Due to increased competition in the labor market, good is crucial preparation for recruitment processes, so it is worth taking care of:

• a good CV, tailored to the job offer you are applying for
• clear Linkedin profile with the information that you are open to new job offers
• preparation for the interview
• good organization of the search
• action plan with specific goals and deadlines
• plan “B” – unfortunately not everything can go your way

What is plan ‘B’ in job search?

Plan “B” is simply an alternative. In this case, it means being ready to completely change the industry and preparing for a new profession. Due to the dynamic situation, it may turn out that the industry in which we have worked so far has been badly affected by the crisis. Finding a job in a particular sector can be much more difficult than before. Therefore, it is worth considering other options and broadening your circle of research. At each position, we acquire many universal competences that we are able to use, for example, in a similar position in another industry. Examples include customer service, sales, negotiation skills, management, and more.