The job market is F****d. Give yourself an edge.

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Morning friend ☕️ 

Did you see the “breakup” of Elon and Trump?

The most powerful man in the world vs the richest.

Very entertaining - the internet is having a field day with memes!

Today though, we are talking a bit about the job market.

I’m sure you must’ve seen the doom and gloom in the news:

Layoffs all round. AI is taking jobs as companies chase profitability + efficiency.

The job market going to change dramatically over the next 5 years.

What can you do to remain marketable and employable?

What are the trends for the next 5 years?

Grab your coffee,

Let’s chat!

What is Job Market looking like over the next 5 years?

The World Economic Forum Jobs Report 2025 highlights some interesting trends.

The WEF highlights a significant shift in core skills required by 2025 and beyond, with these trends:

• Job Market Growth: About 170 million new jobs will be created by 2030, but 92 million existing jobs will be lost.

• In-Demand Roles: Growing jobs include AI specialists, data analysts, cybersecurity experts, and renewable energy engineers.

• Declining Jobs: Routine jobs like data-entry clerks and bank tellers are shrinking due to automation.

• Skills Evolution: Nearly 40% of job skills will change by 2030. Soft skills are on the rise.

• Human Skills: Employers value adaptability, teamwork, and strong networks alongside technical skills.

• Hiring Focus: Companies are focusing on skills-based hiring and diversity, so professionals should keep learning and show their skills.

With this shift happening, what can you do to position yourself well to ride the waves of change?

I’ve been on the market recently, and from last week’s post, you know I am moving into a new role. (Announcement coming soon!)

Here are my top 3 tips based on my job search experience and the recent WEF jobs report.

1. Build Your Personal Brand – Own Your Narrative

“Personal branding is the intentional, strategic practice of defining and expressing your value.” - Catherine Cote.

Think of your career like a Netflix show. Recruiters and hiring managers watch the trailer before they stream the season. Your online profile is that trailer.

Check out Catherine’s excellent article on Harvard Business Review: Personal Branding: What it is and why it matters.

With a strong personal brand and great value proposition, your prospects on the market are much better.

I have had many hiring managers and recruiters mention my LinkedIn and Blog posts.

It got their attention and secured me interviews.

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2. Upskill & Reskill – Stay One Step Ahead of the Robots

Hard skills are not enough anymore.

AI is coming for them.

So now what?

The below infographic shows Soft Skills are becoming core and increasing in importance.

Identify the gaps in your skillset and start upskilling today!

The good news?

You are already subscribed to www.scarymanagement.com 😁

We are passionate about managing people and evangelizing these soft skills in our weekly newsletter. Keep reading and upskilling!

3. Activate Your Network – Make Opportunity Call You

The most useful piece of advice I saw about effectively navigating your job search?

Activate your network.

Most online job applications never go anywhere. You need a warm intro to stand a chance against 100’s and 1000’s of applications for each role.

How to do this?

• List your circles. Note down your old co-workers, conference friends, alumni, and hobby groups. Each group can open new doors.

• Connect and give first. Reconnect by reaching out or acknowledging them personally or on social media via likes and comments. Don’t come on too strong, but rather, keep it light. Give value first, rather than ask.

• Strengthen ties by catching up. After the initial connections, arrange a coffee chat to catch up.

• Ask for advice, not work. Depending on the relationship and your situation, it might be better to take it slow and let opportunities emerge organically when the timing is right, rather than outright asking for a job.

"Your name is Elon now." pic.twitter.com/thWx9PrZrW

— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) June 5, 2025

My recent experience on the market?

The approach that got me the most interviews was not online applications.

It was warm outreach, building a connection, and letting people know I was open to opportunities.

They reached out to me.

When I saw roles advertised that I was really keen on, I reached out to a person of influence at the company and asked to be connected with the hiring team.

Don’t rule out the power of your network….

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Pulling It All Together: The Flywheel Effect

These three moves feed each other in a virtuous loop:

1. Let Your Personal Brand Amplify Your Value. The sharper your brand, the more eyeballs on your profile and the more people know about your value proposition.

2. Reskill to align with the 2030 Core Skills. We saw earlier that Technical and Soft skills have a clear trend. Acquire the right skills so you can offer a strong value proposition to employers.

3. Keep your Network warm and looking out for you. Online applications don’t work. You need warm intros from real humans. Nurture your network and get yourself top of their minds - when a new role arises, you want them to call you first.

Final Thought

It’s not all doom and gloom. But, you need to position yourself for success.

You must align your value-proposition to the evolving market needs.

Tend to your brand.

Sharpen your skills.

Nurture your network.

That’s it for today my friend.

Till next week! ☕️ 

Vaugan

PS: Know someone on the job market who might benefit from this email?

Forward this email to them!

Chess Puzzle

Black to play and force mate

Move the pieces around and try to solve it here.