‘Should I leave my job? I hear the market is really bad!’

If you are considering a change of job, this one is a MUST read. 

Even if you aren’t job hunting right now, you may have heard - the job market is REALLY bad.

Most of the global economies my clients work in - mainly the US and the UK - are in recessions (whether politically confirmed or not) and lay-offs are becoming the norm.

Sounds like a terrible time to leave your job right?!

Well, maybe not.

An interesting 5 years

The last 5 years has been a crazy ride. 

Between a global pandemic, booming markets, HUGE interest rate hikes, political changes, a down-turn in the markets, mass tech-layoffs and now recessionary conditions, you’d be forgiven for wanting to stay put in a job that pays the bills and puts food on the table.

Back in 2020, the uncertainty of the pandemic and the new world of permanently working from home, was too much disruption for the average human-being. Most people I spoke to took this as an opportunity to lay low and ride through the storm.

‘Let's get through this and then we can change jobs’, was the general consensus I heard.

Then came 2022

Unfortunately for the job market and the economies of the world, 2020 was not the low point we thought it would be. 

That came at the back end of 2022 when interest rates sky-rocketed, tech companies started mass lay-offs and large economic downturns began.

For those who chose not to leave their jobs in 2020, all of a sudden they were stuck for longer. 

If 2020 was a bad time in the job market, the back end of 2022 was a disaster. 

Lots of big global companies froze head count, offers were withdrawn and many businesses stopped hiring whilst waiting to see what might happen next.

Which brings us to today…

While not the buoyant market of 2020, we have definitely made improvements since 2022. 

Tech companies are back hiring, head counts are unfrozen and while the economy isn't great, at least we KNOW it's not great. Unlike the shock decline at the back end of 2022.

If you are someone who held off job hunting in 2020, only to be shocked by what happened in 2022… 2024 is - relatively speaking - not a terrible market. 

To hunt or not to hunt?

Job hunting in a tough market isn’t great. 

But if you are currently in a job, you do not have to leave until you find a new one.So you have the luxury of being able to get involved - but with a safety net. 

If you have already waited 4 years to go job hunting, you are probably letting the fear of others keep you trapped. I would recommend at least making a plan and giving it a shot before deciding it's not a great market for you.

One of my clients was made redundant in October of 2023 and had a new job working for Salesforce only 6 weeks later. 

Great jobs are out there. And people are securing them. Don’t let stories of how bad the market is hold you back. There will always be reasons not to job hunt. 

If you have been waiting 4 years, is waiting another 2 years an option?

Don't go alone

More than anything I would advise not to attempt to find a job in this market on your own.

Get help. Get the support of a community. Upskill yourself on job hunting. 

This will give you the edge in the market. 

And you will need it.

Despite the tough market, this year clients on my Creative Career Level Up programme have secured jobs at Diageo, Red Bull, Salesforce, Samsung, Amazon, Premier Foods and Charlotte Tilbury amongst many many others. 

The Creative Career Level Up gives you the knowledge, on-going support, community and insider opportunities that will ensure you are able to secure a role no matter how tough the market.