Job hunting in 2025? It’s rough out here. And I’m not calling it a trend—because it’s not. It’s reality. People are stressed, confused, exhausted, and doing the most just to get in the door.
I’m seeing folks juggling 20 different versions of their resume, stacking up certifications like Pokémon cards, and still—still—struggling to land stable work.
So I asked AI: What’s going on with the job market right now? Like, actually?
And what I got back confirmed what a lot of us already feel in our bones—this market is chaotic, competitive, and full of landmines. But it also gave me some strategies that I want to share with y’all.
🔎 Why Is It So Hard to Find a Job Right Now?
There are a lot of things happening all at once:
Economic instability (hellooo inflation and interest rates)
Companies getting super cautious with hiring
High competition across the board
Entry-level roles disappearing or asking for senior-level experience
People abandoning their field altogether just to pay rent
It's wild out here. But that doesn’t mean we can’t adapt.
Let’s talk through some of the biggest shifts—and how you can move with them, not against them.
💡 Shift #1: One Job Is Not Enough Anymore
Let’s keep it real: Relying on one income stream in this economy is a risky game.
We saw folks trying to work multiple full-time jobs during the remote work boom. It got messy, yes. But they were onto something—diversifying income is now survival, not strategy.
What You Can Do:
Main job + low-lift side hustle: If your day job is meeting-heavy and draining, pair it with a passive hustle (think digital products, affiliate links, selling templates).
Freelance work: Quick gigs. Low barrier to entry. Get paid fast.
Passive income ideas: eBooks, printables, YouTube (yup—even shorts count), and other content that works while you sleep.
The key is balance. Don’t burn yourself out trying to juggle too many high-effort streams. Choose one or two low-lift options that align with your lifestyle.
🤝 Shift #2: Network Smarter, Not Harder
I get it.
As someone who lowkey hates networking (seriously, it stresses me out), I’m not going to tell you to go to every happy hour or hand out 100 business cards.
But strategic networking? That's the move.
Here’s how I’m doing it:
Tapping into the people I already know through my policy work
Pitching myself at community events (even if I mess up sometimes)
Following up immediately with people who say, “Let’s connect”
Showing up consistently, even in unexpected spaces
The big takeaway: The best connections often come from the least expected places. Not the polished networking mixers with fancy hors d'oeuvres. The random nonprofit gathering. The Saturday morning community event. That’s where the real work happens.
🤖 Shift #3: AI Isn’t Going Anywhere—So Use It Well
Every digital literacy workshop I teach? Somebody brings up AI.
Some are hyped. Some are nervous. Either way, AI is part of the equation now. And if you’re only using tools like ChatGPT or Claude to answer emails faster or summarize articles… you're missing out.
Use AI like a partner, not just a toy:
Let it help you build a networking plan
Use it to explore career pivots and job descriptions
Brainstorm side hustle ideas
Analyze your current skills and market yourself better
I treat my AI tools like an assistant—and sometimes a strategist. Because in a market this competitive, you need every tool working for you.
🔁 Next Up: The Skills That Still Pay Off
In Part 2, we’ll break down the skills that are holding strong in 2025—ones that are still in demand, more stable during economic shifts, and likely to grow with tech instead of being replaced by it.
📌 Stay tuned for that—and if this resonates, drop a comment or share it with someone who’s in the trenches with you.
We're in this together.
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Want help building your own income streams or crafting a networking plan with AI? Drop me a message. Let’s build. ✨
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