No Rain
I live in Pittsburgh, where clouds and rain are just part of the deal. It's great here - don't get me wrong. But we're heading into that stretch where it's dark and dreary much of the time. That's coming off of record-setting rain this summer. As I write this, I'm seeing the sun for the first time in what feels like weeks.
That feels a little like this job market.
There is some movement and there are people landing.
But there are also long stretches where it feels like nothing is happening, even when you are doing the work.
I've talked with reporters from CNBC, Business Insider, and Forbes in the past two weeks as we're all trying to gauge the current situation. Yes - the unemployment rate remains low on the surface, but underneath it all, there are a lot of questions.
Hiring picks up naturally in September and I believe that the September Surge will always be a real thing in some way, shape, or form. Hiring teams are back from vacation and looking to fill roles before the year ends. I had one client land 5 interviews last week (including two second-round interviews), so hiring is still happening in some industries.
But the market is still very uneven. Marketing and communications roles continue to be hard hit - the Indeed CMO recently shared that the number of marketing job openings has dropped by 25% from pre-COVID levels (honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the actual number is higher than that). Parts of tech (especially entry-level software, analytics, and roles exposed to AI disruption) are still challenging. Recruiting and talent roles also tend to feel the slowdown when companies are cautious.
I was talking with a new client yesterday about how the work that you are doing today doesn't always show results immediately. That delay between the work and the results isn't always easy (don't ask me how I know). There is a lot of temptation to keep changing things up while you are waiting, like the job seeker who wrote four different resumes in six months when she didn't see results right away.
Like Tom Petty says, the waiting is the hardest part. But in this market, everyone is waiting for something, whether you are in an active job search or not.
Whether you are waiting to see if your company will be part of the October Offload, waiting for budgets to open up, or waiting for interviews, I'm cheering for you.
I'm curious to hear what you are seeing out there - let me know what's going on in your part of the world.
Are you feeling invisible?
Let's fix that.
I'm committed to helping you become more visible and find a new role, so through the end of the year, I'm going to offer the Ageless Careers Toolkit for $29 (use the coupon code NEWJOB2026 at checkout).
The Ageless Careers Toolkit is a self-paced job search program (combination of written guides, examples, and videos) outlining my best practices:
- Build Your Ageless Career: I answer your biggest job search questions and troubleshoot common issues for Gen X and Baby Boomer job seekers
- Write Your Ageless Resume: I've written 1000s of resumes - this is my 43-page guide for writing a winning resume
- Craft Your Ageless Cover Letter: My tips for writing a cover letter in 10 minutes or less
- The Art of Ageless Interviewing: Boost your confidence through my biggest interview tips
- Create Your Ageless LinkedIn Presence: We are going to optimize your LinkedIn profile so that opportunities find you
Use coupon code NEWJOB2026 at the checkout to receive your discount!
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Other ways that I can help:
Question of the Week: Do you have a question that you would like to have answered in the Question of the Week? If so, reply to this email and let me know what's on your mind.
Hiring Help: Reach out if you have any open roles that you would like to share with this community.
Sponsorships: Reach Gen X and Baby Boomer executives by sponsoring this newsletter (we're currently at 8500+ subscribers for the email newsletter, 49,000+ subscribers for the LinkedIn newsletter, and 110,000+ followers on LinkedIn, so you can easily reach a wide base of readers).
If you'd like to work together, you can learn more about my services on my website or set up a call here.
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Take care of yourself and have a wonderful weekend!
Colleen
