A few weeks ago, I was at a networking event when a friend and former colleague called out to me from across the room.
“I got a job! Stuart, thank you for helping me get it!”
That’s a pretty great thing to hear. And it’s a reminder that, despite all the doom and gloom, people are still getting hired.
But let’s be honest: the job market is tough right now. And when you’re the one looking for work, it can feel a whole lot tougher.
I see talented professionals who have lost their jobs—or who know it’s time for a change—jump straight into sending out résumés. Apply here. Apply there. Tweak the résumé. Send it again. Refresh LinkedIn. Repeat.
I understand the impulse. When uncertainty hits, doing something feels better than sitting still.
But activity and progress are two very different things.
Before you launch into a full-scale job search, take a breath. You may need a strategy more than you need another résumé submission.
The market is telling us something.
The frustration isn’t just anecdotal.
Gallup’s August 2026 measure found that only 30% of U.S. employees believed it was a good time to find a quality job. That’s a steep drop from 70% in mid-2022. Meanwhile, Gallup reported that 53% of employees were watching for or actively seeking another job as of August 2026. People may want a change, but confidence in the market is another story.
And then there’s the term that seems to be everywhere lately: job hugging.
According to Monster’s September 2026 survey, about 48% of workers said they were currently staying in their jobs for the security, stability, or comfort those jobs provide—even when moving on might offer better opportunities. Nearly one-third of those surveyed said staying put could leave them feeling stuck or limit their career growth.
I’m not sure we need another buzzword for a behavior that makes perfect sense in an uncertain market. When people worry about finding another job, they’re less likely to leave the one they have. And when fewer people move, fewer positions open up for everyone else.
That creates a frustrating cycle: people want something different, employers are cautious, and job seekers face more competition for opportunities that genuinely fit.
So, no—you’re not imagining it. The market is difficult. Pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.
But panic-applying your way through another week doesn’t fix it, either.
Don’t let panic become your career strategy.
Losing a job can knock the wind out of you. Even when you know the role wasn’t right, there’s a financial reality to deal with—and a personal one. Your routine changes. Your confidence may take a hit. And suddenly, the question “What’s next?” feels like it needs to be answered yesterday.
If you’ve been let go, give yourself a little time to decompress if your circumstances allow it. You don’t have to turn a difficult experience into an immediate, perfectly executed career plan.
Then start asking better questions.
What do I actually want from my next role?
What am I particularly good at—and what do people consistently come to me for?
What kind of organization, leadership, and work environment bring out my best?
What do I want to build toward over the next few years?
What am I no longer willing to compromise on?
These aren’t indulgent questions. They’re practical ones.
The answers help you decide which opportunities deserve your time, how to explain your value, and where you’re most likely to make a meaningful contribution.
Without that clarity, it’s easy to chase every opening that looks remotely plausible. And when you’re exhausted from applying without getting traction, it’s easy to mistake volume for a plan.
Your next job search shouldn’t just be about getting out of your current situation. It should be about getting clearer on where you want to go.
Progress doesn’t look the same for everyone.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that career progress has a single definition: a bigger title, a bigger company, a bigger paycheck, or the next rung on the ladder.
Those things can matter. But they aren’t the only measures of a good career move.
In working with professionals at different stages of their careers, I’ve seen how different the right next step can look.
An early-career professional moved into a broader role that offers a stronger foundation for long-term growth. The important part wasn’t simply getting a new job; it was moving into work that better positioned them for what could come next.
An experienced technical professional brought existing expertise into a new industry, taking on a role that bridges technology and program leadership. The move created an opportunity to apply what they already knew in a different context.
And a senior technology leader with decades of experience chose a leadership role in a smaller organization. Rather than chasing the next big-company title, the priority was working more closely with colleagues and stakeholders—and seeing a more direct impact from the work.
Three professionals. Three different career stages. Three different definitions of progress.
That’s what career strategy looks like. It’s personal, it’s intentional, and it sure as hell isn’t one-size-fits-all.
The right move isn’t necessarily the one that looks most impressive on LinkedIn. It’s the one that makes sense for your strengths, your priorities, and the career you want to build.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone.
In a competitive market, it’s tempting to make yourself sound like you can do just about anything.
You list every skill you’ve ever used. You apply to roles that are only loosely connected to your experience. You try to write a résumé that will appeal to as many employers as possible.
The problem? A broad message can make it harder for the right employer to understand why you’re the right person.
Employers are looking for a fit. They want to understand what you bring, where you can make a difference, and why your experience is relevant to their needs.
That means being clear about your strongest attributes, your expertise, and the kinds of problems you can solve. It means targeting roles where your experience has a story to tell—and making that story easy to see in your résumé, LinkedIn profile, and conversations.
You don’t need to appeal to every employer. You need to make a compelling case to the right employers.
And no, that doesn’t mean you have to squeeze your entire professional life into a trendy headline or pretend you’re an expert in every new thing that appears on the market. Neither does anyone else, regardless of what their LinkedIn headline promises.
Specificity isn’t a limitation. It’s how you help people understand your value.
Career planning isn’t fortune-telling.
On October 13, HR Talent Alliance hosted a LinkedIn Live called “Designing a Career With Intention” as part of our Career Strategy Lab series.
One of the ideas behind that conversation is central to everything I’ve been talking about here: designing your career doesn’t mean predicting every move you’ll make for the next ten years.
None of us has that kind of crystal ball.
It means understanding what matters to you, recognizing the value you bring, and making more deliberate decisions about what comes next. It means being prepared to adjust when circumstances change without losing sight of what you’re working toward.
If you’re in the middle of a job search, that could mean taking a closer look at your priorities before applying to another 30 positions. It could mean sharpening how you communicate your experience. Or it could mean recognizing that a role you might once have overlooked is actually a better fit for the life and career you want now.
If you missed the conversation, you can watch the replay here. [Add replay link]
You can’t control the market. You can control your approach.
You can’t make employers move faster. You can’t control how many people apply for a role, how long a hiring process takes, or whether an organization changes its plans halfway through a search.
You can be more intentional about where you focus your energy.
You can get clear about what you want. You can identify and communicate your strengths. You can be thoughtful about the roles and organizations you pursue. And you can build a search around the value you offer rather than the fear that you’re falling behind.
That doesn’t guarantee a quick offer. I won’t pretend it does. A thoughtful job search can still take time, and rejection or silence can be frustrating even when you’re doing everything right.
But there’s a difference between acknowledging how hard the market is and letting it dictate every move you make.
Don’t confuse being busy with making progress. And don’t let a difficult market convince you that you have to abandon your judgment about what comes next.
At HR Talent Alliance, we work with professionals through our Talent & Career Advisory services to clarify career direction, identify strengths, sharpen professional positioning, and approach the market with greater focus and intention.
Because the goal isn’t just to land a job.
It’s to make a move that makes sense for you.
If you’re trying to figure out what that next move should be, let’s talk. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at Stuart@HRTalentalliance.com.
The market may be a mess. Your strategy doesn’t have to be.
