The job market in 2025 presents a number of challenges for jobseekers.  The recent budget has detrimentally impacted the appetite of some employer’s to hire at all which means increased competition for the roles that are available.  Hiring processes are changing as well, with the introduction of A.I.  so, navigating these can be a challenge for more seasoned candidates or those who haven’t been on the market for a long time.

However, despite the challenging market, there are still job opportunities available.  This blog is designed to identify some of the challenges that jobseekers will face in 2025, and some practical tips to help them/you increase their/your chances of securing a new job!

1. Increased Competition for Roles

Challenge:

With hiring budgets tightening in many industries, fewer vacancies mean more candidates competing for the same roles.  This increased competition can make it harder for job seekers to stand out.

Solution:

• Optimise Your CV – Make sure your CV is up to date, including your current work experience.  If you’ve had the same template since you left school, then maybe change it up!  Check out our blogs on the 365Jobs website for more CV improvement tips.
• Update your LinkedIn Profile – With over 2 billion accounts on LinkedIn, it really has become the ‘go to’ place for employers & recruiters to find candidates.  If you don’t have a profile, get one!  Once you do, get it up to date so it showcases your key skills and experience.
• Leverage Networking – This is usually something that employers attend to generate business but, from a candidate perspective, identifying the right network groups for your industry and attending will put you directly in front of employers!

2. The Shift Towards Skills Based Hiring

Challenge:

Many employers are moving away from traditional qualifications and industry experience and focusing more on a skills based hiring.  This means that whilst employers are generally interested in candidates with industry experience, they are willing to consider jobseekers who have demonstrated transferable skills in other roles e.g.  team management, account management etc beyond their previous job titles.

Solution:

• Up-skill and/or Re-skill – There are a number of free online courses and certifications that can be completed online.  This can help to keep up to date with the latest industry trends, develop soft skills and stay ahead in your field… or at least keep up!
• Highlight Transferable Skills – Think about the skills and experiences you have in previous roles that may crossover to the role you’re applying for, and highlight these on your CV.
• Build a Portfolio – Depending on the line of work you’re involved in, this can be a very tangible way of demonstrating your skills.  If you’re a manual worker or used to doing practical things, perhaps photographs would be great.  For more office based workers, perhaps some project work, benefits delivered or testimonials/feedback from co-workers and manager’s can be very powerful.

3. A.I. and Automation in the Hiring Process

Challenge:

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and A.I. driven recruitment tools are screening applications before hiring manager’s or recruiters even see them.  If your CV isn’t optimised for A.I. screening, you might be the best candidate for the job, but you won’t even make the first round!

Solution:

• Use Keywords from Job Descriptions – Try and mirror the language used in the job advert you’re applying for, in your CV.  One of the things the A.I. is doing, is to you’re your CV and match it up against the wording of the job description – so this will really help.
• Keep your CV Format Simple – The A.I. doesn’t like CV’s with a complex layout and may reject them automatically if they can’t be read because they contain a photo’s, images of company logo’s or tables that may confuse it.
• Apply Strategically – Don’t “spray & pray”!  Focus your job search on roles that align with your experience and customise your application for each job.  This will save you valuable time and energy!

These are just 3 quick wins but for more tips, our blog https://365jobs.co.uk/how-can-i-optimise-my-cv-for-a-i-analysis/ provides some more information.

4. Employer Expectations for Remote and Hybrid Work

Challenge:

More and more companies are encouraging employees to come back into the office for at least part of the week, or even more!  That means that job opportunities are more location based and therefore require some hybrid working as a minimum, rather than remote only roles that we’ve seen throughout the market over the last few years.

Solution:

• Clarify Your Work Preferences – Be clear about your ideal working pattern scenario from the start.  Employer’s may be willing to be flexible for the right candidate but definitely won’t be happy if they offer you the job and then you say that you’re “only interested if it’s fully remote” when it has clearly been advertised as a hybrid/office based role.
• Showcase Remote Work Skills – The key motivator for employer’s in getting employee’s back to the office is performance.  If you can demonstrate time management, communication and self-discipline in your CV, and interview responses, you may find the employer more open to a remote/less office-based opportunity.
• Be Adaptable – It’s an employer’s market at the moment and, whilst we don’t advocate overselling or overcommitting yourselves, hiring manager’s do value candidates who are keen, enthusiastic and adaptable… perhaps willing to put themselves out for either a short period of time, for the company.

The job market in 2025 presents both challenges and opportunities but, by adopting some of the tips we’ve mentioned, candidates can set themselves up for success!  It’s tough for everyone at the moment but the key is to stay positive and be proactive!

Hopefully you’ve found this blog useful.  There are a number of useful articles for candidates on our website, so please have a look at https://365jobs.co.uk/category/candidate-resources/ for more help.  You can also register as a candidate on the 365Jobs platform, set up job alerts and be notified of any opportunity matches when a job is posted.

Happy hunting!