How to Find a Job in 2025: Tips from Employment Experts

Nobody likes to look for a job. But the irritation, fatigue, anxiety, anger and despair that "white collar" job seekers have experienced in the last year are incomparable to anything. These people with a good education and experience working in reputable companies are completely confused. The old tried and tested methods of job searching no longer work. How to look for a job in the coming year, the publication found out Business Insider.

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Today, there are more unemployed professionals than job openings. Technology has simplified the application process to a single click, leaving employers inundated with applications they can’t physically process. So relying on old-school job search methods is a recipe for disappointment. “Don’t just apply and expect a call back,” says Kyle Minton, a veteran recruiter in the tech and manufacturing industries. “I promise you, your application will get lost in the shuffle. We’re in a new era.”

But there are ways to cut through the chaos. Business Insider spoke to two dozen experts — recruiters, HR executives, career coaches, résumé writers, and those who run application-tracking systems and online job-search platforms.

They provided specific tools for success. Collected and organized, their advice provides a clear guide to finding a job.

On the subject: What Skills Do You Need to Master to Make More Money in 2025?

Prepare the base

Start with your own environment

If you’re still employed, don’t assume that good jobs are only available outside your company. According to data from the application management system Greenhouse, internal candidates are five times more likely to get hired than external candidates with a reference, and 41 times more likely than those without a reference. To get ahead of the competition, research job openings at your company before they’re posted. Invite colleagues in the role you’re interested in for coffee and ask them if they know of any upcoming openings on their team. Networking starts at home.

Make a list of your dream companies

A bad job market can make you think that you should apply to every possible place and hope to get lucky. However, this approach is a huge mistake. Ironically, it is precisely the difficult market that requires you to purposefully narrow your search. If you are just starting out in your career, yes, apply everywhere. But if you already have several years of experience, you should think about which companies you really want to work for, because you will have to invest a significant amount of time and effort to get a job there.

Keep the list short

Matt Tug, a former tech recruiter turned career coach, advises his clients to limit themselves to no more than five “dream companies.” “It takes a lot of time to properly research a company,” he explains. “The more companies you have on your list, the lower the quality of your research.”

Don't be afraid of cold calling

Identify the team leaders you want to join from the companies on your list. Even if there are no job openings posted, reach out to these managers and ask for a short conversation. Your goal is not to ask for a job, but to learn more about their team and establish a rapport.

Involve everyone you know

Friends, former colleagues, neighbors, classmates, acquaintances from the park where you walk your dog, that guy you stood in line for coffee with at a boring industry conference two months ago—they’ll all do.

Get your profile in order LinkedIn

Accept possible discomfort

No one wants to be that person who spends all their time on LinkedIn. But an active presence on the platform is essential: Recruiters and hiring managers use it both to find candidates and to evaluate applicants. Post and comment regularly—it shows that you’re passionate about your career and are willing to respond promptly to a recruiter’s message. Subscribe to Premium Career. It costs $29,99 per month, but it gives you more message credits, which is useful for effective networking.

Subscribe to dream companies

Remember that list of companies you made? Follow each one on LinkedIn. Recruiters often filter candidates who already follow a company, so this is an easy way to get on their radar. “It shows initiative, intelligence, and motivation,” says Jenny Diani, senior director of technical recruiting at Autodesk. “We look for people who are genuinely interested in working for us.”

Optimize Your Profile With 4 Simple Tricks

• List the skills. Recruiters want to see not only job titles, but also your key skills. For each position, choose five skills that are worth highlighting.
• Fill out the "About Me" section. This is important. Describe your key achievements and list your top 5 skills that are relevant to the position you are seeking.
• Make your profile visually appealing. First impressions matter. Upload a quality photo, choose a cover image, and make sure your employers' logos are displayed correctly.
• Hide your age. Age discrimination is real. If you are over 40, do not include your graduation year.

Activate the status "Open for work"

Think using the green banner on LinkedIn will attract negative attention? Don’t. Not only are recruiters fine with it, some even pay special attention to candidates with this status. Turn it on and write a post that clearly states what job you’re looking for, highlights your skills and successes, and keeps the tone positive. Avoid criticizing past employers or mentioning personal fears like losing your home.

Improve your resume

On theunderstand professional resume writer

“Nobody is born an expert at writing a resume,” says John Strauss, co-founder of Greenhouse. So trust a professional who knows how to do it right. Prices range from a few hundred dollars for a standard update to several thousand for help with networking and interview preparation. Many successful job seekers credit resume writers for their new positions. But beware of scammers: check reviews and make sure the person you choose is competent.

Beat AI Bots by Tailoring Your Resume to Each Job Posting

Companies are increasingly using artificial intelligence to evaluate candidates by matching their resumes to job postings. Recruiters also often filter resumes based on keywords in job postings. Make sure you use those words in your resume and list accomplishments that demonstrate you’ve done what the company is looking for. “If you’re not taking the time to tailor your resume to the specific job posting,” says Avani Prabhakar, chief people officer at Atlassian, “your chances are slim to none.”

Use bots to beat bots

Tailoring your resume to a job posting is a labor-intensive process, but there are online tools that can make this task much easier. For example, the platform Teal compares your resume with the job postings and suggests new points to make them as relevant as possible.

Never use hidden keywords.

There are rumors online that you can fool applicant tracking systems by inserting keywords in white text that only the program will see. However, recruiters may be looking for "white text" and immediately reject such resumes as dishonest. If you think a keyword is important, use it in regular black text.

Don't act like a big boss

Many companies are cutting back on mid-level management, which is forcing experienced professionals to apply for lower-level positions. If this is the case for you, avoid emphasizing management skills on your resume. You don’t want recruiters to think you’re above getting real work done. Instead, as Saba Siddiqui, head of talent acquisition at Gusto, suggests, present yourself as a “player coach.” Emphasize how you’ve continued to contribute as an individual even as you’ve taken on a management role.

Don't get hung up on the idea of ​​working from home

With the return to the office, most companies are now offering positions with on-site or hybrid work models. Many recruiters won’t even consider candidates who live far from the company’s offices. Be sure to include your city and state of residence at the top of your resume. If you live far away but are willing to relocate, note that next to your current location.

If you are applying for a remote job, focus on relevant skills.

Adapt your resume to demonstrate your success in remote work. After all, this is an important skill in itself. “We are looking for people who are autonomous, can effectively manage their time, are comfortable working in conditions of uncertainty and do not require constant supervision,” says Anastasia Pshegodskaya, Director of Recruitment at Remote. Indicate in your resume the positions where you worked completely remotely.

Forget about the cover letter

No one reads them. For companies that do require a cover letter, send something standard, but don't spend a lot of time reworking it. It's much more important to write a quality resume.

Start submitting your resume

Take the first place in line

Many application tracking systems display candidates in the order they were submitted. Recruiters often don’t have time to review them all. And companies that do read every resume close the posting as soon as they receive enough applications, which can be as little as a few days. So apply as early as possible. Tip: Set up LinkedIn alerts for your dream job openings so you’ll be notified as soon as they become available.

Get ahead of the queue

Unless the company specifically asks you not to, send a private message or email introducing yourself to the hiring manager or recruiter. Afraid to piss them off? “I’d take a chance,” says Steve Knox, global head of talent acquisition at Dayforce. “Show initiative.” Nine times out of 10, the manager will be curious and check out your LinkedIn profile—if they like you, they may speed up the process.

Do everything you can to get a recommendation.

According to Greenhouse, references increase your chances of getting hired nine times over candidates without them. It’s best if the reference comes from someone who knows you well. But if you don’t know anyone at your dream companies, reach out to those you’ve cold-called in the past and ask them to introduce you to colleagues on the team you’re interested in. Don’t be shy about asking if they’d be willing to recommend you to the hiring manager—many companies offer bonuses for employee referrals.

Don't be afraid to submit your resume without an introduction

Can't find any connections within the company? Try anyway. One analysis by Greenhouse found that 68% of candidates hired by its clients were external candidates without references. The odds are slim, but it's worth a shot.

Offer your own position

«Four years ago, when I was looking for a new job, I had a few online conversations with editors at Business Insider, writes author Aki Ito. I wasn’t happy with any of the positions they were hiring for, so I pitched them the job I wanted: writing about work culture in the U.S. They liked the idea so much that they created a new position for me. Not only did it help me land my dream job, it also gave me a unique advantage: I was the only candidate.

Full-time jobs are hard to come by, so consider working as a contractor

Use this brokerto find out which recruiting agencies your dream company works with, and contact them directly. “Because their product is people,” says recruiter Minton, “they tend to be more approachable.” As a contractor for a company, you can build internal relationships and gradually work your way up to a full-time position.

The next stage is an interview.

Prepare well

It used to be that senior professionals could get through interviews on charisma alone. Those days are over. “Today, you’re expected to do extensive research,” says Frank Burgoyne, an interview coach for experienced professionals. “And that doesn’t mean just looking at the company’s website.”

Read all the news articles about the company. Watch as many of its presentations on YouTube as you can, even the most specific ones. Be prepared to show that you understand the problems the company faces and why you are the one who can solve them.

Apply for a job you think "maybe" before you commit to the main one

Think of it as practice. “This will give you interview practice in a safer, lower-risk environment than your first attempt at, say, Google,” says career consultant Tag.

Use ChatGPT

Provide him with the job description, your resume, and the interviewer's title so he can create sample questions for you. You can even ask him to analyze your answers, but don't repeat sentences verbatim. Recruiters notice rehearsed and robotic answers.

Use the STAR method

If an interview question begins with “Tell me about a time when you…,” your answer should follow four steps: situation, task, action, result. “It used to be a nice-to-have extra, but now companies expect it 100 percent,” says Burgoyne. He advises clients not only to prepare answers in advance, but also to keep a spreadsheet of stories formatted using the STAR method: “This spreadsheet will be with you throughout your career, and you should update it regularly.”

Don't answer the question, "What is your greatest weakness?" with, "I'm a perfectionist."

This sounds trivial, and recruiters will see through it. Instead, talk about what was your weakness in the past and explain how you overcame it.

Send a thank you note after every interview

Avoid generic phrases like, “Thank you very much for the interview yesterday.” Mention something specific from the conversation that impressed you, or share an additional thought on the topic discussed. You’ll score extra points if you tie it to how you plan to contribute to the company.

Collect your "failures"

Got rejected? Consider it another networking opportunity. Send interviewers a LinkedIn request. And ask the recruiter to check back in a few months to see if any new positions have opened up. “I can think of a lot of people who were hired at Autodesk for a role other than the first one they applied for,” says Jenny Diani. “They followed up with the manager or recruiter and ended up being considered for another role.”

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Keep calm

Stay Organized

Many job seekers keep a spreadsheet of the jobs they've applied to. But even more important is a spreadsheet of all the people you've spoken to. List where they work, how you met them, a summary of the conversation, and the date of the conversation. Follow up with these contacts every few months—and ask for a reference if a position opens up at their company.

Don't take rejections personally

According to the company Datapeople, a recruiting analytics company, finds that nearly a third of all job postings never result in a hire. “The hiring process is happening in a huge, complex company with decisions, priorities, delays, and human factors,” says Tague, who has worked in recruiting at companies like Microsoft and Lyft. “There are probably a lot of factors at play: internal candidates you don’t know, or something else. The candidate just doesn’t see it.” So stop obsessing over the reasons for rejection—they probably had nothing to do with you. Move on.

Gather a support group

You know how married people don't understand the modern dating world? Well, employed people often don't realize how hard it is to find a job these days. Make sure you're surrounded by people who truly understand your situation. You're not alone, even though it may seem that way.

Take breaks, rest on weekends and during vacations

Job search burnout is a real problem. Keep the pace steady, but don’t get caught up in the process 24/7.

Congratulations! You've found a job!

But if you're smart, the search isn't over yet. Continue networking at your dream companies, networking at industry events. Meet at least two new people every month. The more effort you put into building your network while you have a job, the easier it will be when you have to look for a new job again. And hopefully, that won't happen anytime soon.

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