Job Hugging

  Job Hugging:

Job Hugging has not gone away. "Low Quit / Low Hire", which is defined as employed workers are hesitant to leave their jobs, reflecting a lack of confidence in finding new employment, remains a major factor affecting job flow. The job market as not been fluid and will continue to be this way until The Iranian situation stabilizes, inflation peaks / lessens, legal immigration rebounds, and the demand for products / services increase.

Does this post add value to your business day? I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F. Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

Current Job Market Stagnation (June 2026)

 Current Job Market Stagnation (June 2026)

The current job market is caught in an unusual "low hire, low fire" stasis. Employers are hiring at a sluggish pace—resembling levels last seen after the Great Recession—because the market is still correcting from pandemic-era over-hiring, and economic and policy uncertainties have caused companies to pause and evaluate their hiring needs. This issue, coupled with the traditionally slow period immediately after public school graduation leading to family vacations, (and, of course, the geopolitical factors (war, inflation, social unrest) that have plagued the country have contributed to the very sluggish job market).

I expect the slowdown to continue until the end of July.

Partial Source: Washington Post

Instagram - A great video about "Natural Attrition"

  Instagram - A great video about "Natural Attrition" - when a company let's people resign and opts not to rehire for the position.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQJ447TgAQQ/

Quote - FAILURE

  Quote - FAILURE

Show me a person who has never failed and I will show you a failure of a person. What we learn from failure, and what we do with that knowledge, is what matters –– and it's what makes us who we are. - Michael Bloomberg

Does this post add value to your business day? I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F. Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

Quote - "Complacency Breeds Failure"

 "Complacency Breeds Failure" - Andy Grove (Intel)

How you present yourself in person and in writing matters. Your interactions are interpreted by employers, potential employers, customers, partners, vendors and colleagues. Therefore, ALWAYS take the extra few minutes and make sure your presentation, whether it be resume, presentation or appearance is A+++.

Does this post add value to your business day?  I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F.  Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

The Other Side of AI Resumes

The Other Side of AI Resumes

Another negative of AI generated resumes and why the hidden job market is so important. If this sounds self-serving, it is not. Just facts and common sense.

Hiring managers, frankly speaking, are getting tired of reading AI generated resumes. These resumes "mask" deficiencies and paint applications as more "qualified" and successful" than what is the truth.

Hiring managers would prefer Fewer applicants of higher quality. This post will be in two (2) parts, the other coming tomorrow morning.

So, to begin, how to do you get more qualified candidates without posting? Well, simple stated, this is the hidden job market and the only way to access the hidden job market is to NETWORK!!!!

For those of you who are not familiar with the term "hidden job market":

The hidden job market is a term used to describe jobs that aren't advertised or posted online. Most of these jobs are quality positions AND are not posted because the hiring manager does not want to spend the $$$ or dedicate the resources to review / interview alot of candidates. Another reason is that the hiring manager needs to keep this opportunity quiet for many reasons including a forthcoming termination, minimize disruption within the organization as well as competitive issues within the market.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Does this post add value to your business day? I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F. Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

Key Components of a Severance Package:

  Key Components of a Severance Package:

1. Severance Pay

2. Benefits

3. Outplacement Services

These are all negotiation - do not view these as etched in stone, as dictated by the company. You may have to do some research but this will be time well spent. I will elaborate further in my next set of posts.

Does this post add value to your business day? I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F. Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

Bad Advice - Severance Packages Edition

  Bad Advice - Severance Packages Edition

You have listen to your friends or HR Manager, you will be told to accept the conditions of your severance agreement when it is presented to you.

DON'Y LISTEN TO THEM.

Why would you say that Allan? Well, this is the beginning of a process that while stressful and unfortunate, is necessary for you to engage to maximize what is delivered to you when you leave. You will have a few days to decide what to ask for - take the time to do so. You will be glad you did.

Severance Packages:

1. These are negotiable. The offer is not set in stone.

2. The severance package also protects the company from:

a) Lawsuits

b) Social media issues (bad publicity)

c) Exposure of trade secrets

d) Messy, unequitable exit to your tenure.

Ask for the following:

a) Healthcare Benefits (not Cobra - this is expensive)

b) Two (2) weeks per year of service

c) Reference Letter

d) Outplacement Services (Resume Help and More)

Does this post add value to your business day? I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F. Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

ATS Formatting is Essential for Higher Scores

 ATS Formatting is Essential for Higher Scores

Formatting is Key: Survey says 40%+ of resumes fail due to incompatible layouts. That is because the industry is fragmented and there is no standardization in formats.  Candidates are writing resumes (whether or not they are using AI is a different subject) without guidance on format, fonts, etc.  

It is similar to a cook throwing spaghetti against the wall, hoping it sticks.  

Therefore job seekers, be safe and only submit single column, text driven formats (no graphics, tables, charts, logos, pictures.

Does this post add value to your business day?  I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F.  Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

Recruiters and ATS

While ATS systems scan resumes for qualifications of employment, this systems are far from perfect.  Many are filled with bugs and most have different criteria that is weighted to determine qualifications of employment.  In short, contrary to popular belief, not all ATS systems are not created equal.

Therefore, for recruiters to make an impact, relationship building and creating an understanding of the candidate's intent, skills, successes, not to mention the compensation package negotiations, and whether or not the candidate is the right "culture fit" cannot be fully automated.

Given the information above, this makes networking more important than ever.  Relying solely on submitting resumes into ATS systems is not going to yield the response rate you, as a candidate desire on your hunt to find the right opportunity.

Does this post add value to your business day?  I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F.  Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)

Ghost Posting - Check the Posting Date.

 1. Check the Job Posting Date

One of the first indicators of a ghost job posting is the date it was listed. Jobs that remain open for an unusually long time without updates might be inactive. Companies often leave these postings up to build a pool of potential candidates for future needs rather than immediate hires.

Actionable Tip: Set up job alerts to receive the latest postings and prioritize those listed recently.

Source: Connorsgroup.com

Does this post add value to your business day? I post about job search best practices and issues related to the job market 2x per day M-F. Click "Follow" on my profile - Allan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrownresumewriter/ (posting job search advice 1 – 2x daily)