Strategies for Thriving in a Challenging Job Market

Today's high tech job market is the toughest in years. For new college grads, it is even more challenging. I understand the pain, because I experienced the downturn from the dot com bubble burst, right after I graduated. One unique situation in this downturn is that AI can automate a lot of engineering work that fits into certain patterns.

To make progress in navigating this tough job market, I would like to highlight 3 key things. The first 2 are about strong mental and emotional foundation. On top of that, the 3rd key is about strategy and execution.

1. Focus on the things you can control

I understand there are a lot of emotions and anxieties. It takes great efforts and a lot of time to pull our attention from the uncontrollable to the controllable. Don't over-think. Start practicing this from the smallest unit you can achieve, e.g., quiet mind for just 10 min a day doing controllable tasks without thinking about the uncontrollable factors like the outcome of a past interview. Gradually increase from 10 min to 1 hour, 2 hours, ... Focus on the controllable, such as practicing "self introduction" for the interview preparation, finishing one chapter of a technical book, and so on, that contributes a little bit to whatever career goal you are working towards. Consistency is important. You will be surprised how much progress you can accumulate over time.

2. Be open minded

In a tough job market, the supply of talents well exceeds the demand. We can't control that. What we can control is our expectation and scope of job search. Shift our focus from how prestige the role is to what we can learn on the role that aligns with our long term career aspiration. Explore alternative but related roles to expand the search parameter. Explore alternative industries that has more balanced supply and demand of the skills you have. Career is a marathon instead of sprint. You might discover some gems during this expanded exploration. In the worst case scenario, treat it as a career experiment, gain some learnings and pivot later on. Career journey is rarely a straight line in any market condition anyway.

3. Focus on your depth and strength to stand out

With the above 2 solid foundation layers, you can be more effective in focusing on your strategy and execution. In a squeezed job market, standing out is a necessity instead of nice to have. Sit down and seriously do a SWAT analysis of yourself. Identify your top strength and passion. Among them find the ones that best align with the market demand. Double down in going deeper in the core areas where you can stand out. Your goal is to stand out in front of 20% of the hiring managers who are looking for the specific skills you are really good at instead of being mediocre in front of 100% of the hiring managers.

Keep it up! Stay in the game, and the game will reward you.