The same “new year, new you” vibe that causes a spike in gym memberships during January also inspires many professionals to take stock of their careers as they enter the new year. Some go into the holidays thinking about a new job but they postpone action until January. Some job seekers decide to look while reflecting during the break. Whatever the case, we’ve got six predictions on important job search trends for the upcoming year.
1. The popularity of FREELANCING will continue to grow
57 million people freelanced in 2019, including those whose freelanced entirely as well as those who freelanced in addition to having a regular, full time job. The rise of various online freelancing platforms will give way to further increases in freelancing as a way to work.
2. REMOTE WORK options will increase
Remote work has grown 91% over the last decade and various research has concluded that by 2020, half of us will be working remotely in some way. Some companies have entire teams who work remotely; some have people scattered in remote roles. This will continue to be a trend as more companies offer flexibility to attract talent in this tight labor market.
3. SOCIAL MEDIA will be key to your search
79% of job seekers use social media during their job search. 4 out of 5 companies are using social media to recruit candidates. Candidates use social media to find and apply for jobs, to research companies, and most importantly … to network. Having a strong online profile and becoming social media savvy will continue to be important skills for the successful job seeker.
4. AI will impact your job search process
The percentage of companies who are using artificial intelligence tools (AI) to optimize their hiring process continues to grow. This means, for instance, that job seekers can continue to see new tools being used to screen and assess job applicants. The talent technology landscape continues to grow at an accelerated pace as companies seek ways to improve hiring efficiency and quality.
5. Your PERSONAL BRAND becomes even more important
We’ve heard a lot in the last decade about the importance of building your personal brand and this trend will continue into the next decade. Even though we have record low unemployment and talent scarcity remains, job seekers still need to find ways to stand apart. Personal branding will continue to be a hot topic.
6. More Opportunity for OLDER WORKERS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), almost 20% of Americans over the age of 65 were employed or actively looking for work last year, up from less than 12% two decades earlier. A growing number of Baby Boomers are re-entering the workforce while even more are staying in their current positions long into their golden years. This trend is fantastic news if you’re a job seeker over the age of 50 as companies more readily hire older workers to combat talent shortages (read more about the “over 50” job search).
With unemployment at an all time low, the world of hiring will continue to be very dynamic. The possibility of a recession looms on the horizon, which of course could have significant impact for job seekers (more to come on this topic in a future blog). For now, job seekers remain “in the driver’s seat” in this candidate driven market.
Tell us, what trends have you noticed in your own job search process? We’d love to hear what your experiences have been.
