How to Get a Job in a Bad Job Market (Even When It Feels Impossible)
2025 has one of the worst job markets I've seen in my 20 years as a career coach. And I've helped thousands of people navigate some seriously rough employment landscapes.
But here's the thing: I'm still seeing people land great jobs. Better-paying jobs. Jobs they're actually excited about. The difference? They stopped doing what everyone else is doing.
If you're scrolling through job boards for hours, tweaking your resume for the hundredth time, and hearing nothing but crickets, you need to read this. Because the game has changed, and most job seekers haven't gotten the memo.
The Job Market Is Broken
First, let's get real about what we're dealing with. Job postings have practically dried up online. And the ones you do see? Many of them are outdated, already filled, or sometimes not even real. I know, frustrating doesn't begin to cover it.
Here's what's actually happening: recruiters are drowning. With so few positions available, posting a job online means getting slammed with thousands of applications they simply can't handle. So what do they do? They don't post the job at all. They keep it hidden and find candidates through other means.
Welcome to the hidden job market. And if you want a job in 2025, you need to understand how to access it.
The GLOW Method: Your Roadmap to Success
Years ago, I founded Work It DAILY on a simple but powerful framework called the GLOW Method. It stands for: Gain perspective, Luminate the goal, Own your actions, and Work it daily. This approach has helped countless job seekers break through even when the market feels impossible.
Let me walk you through how to apply it right now.
Gain Perspective: Accept That Job Boards Are Dead
This is going to sting, but you need to hear it: your resume is basically worthless right now, and job boards are where good candidates go to disappear into a black hole.
I'm not trying to be harsh; I'm trying to save you months of wasted effort. The perspective shift you need is this: The jobs you want exist, but they're not where you're looking. They're hidden, and you need a different strategy to find them.
Illuminate the Goal: Master the Art of Backchanneling
If the front door (job boards and online applications) is locked, you need to find another way to get to employers. Backchanneling means creating a path directly to the people who have the hidden jobs. Far fewer people are taking this route, which means you'll actually be visible.
Your goal isn't just "get a job." It's to backchannel your way to decision-makers and recruiters who are actively looking for someone like you but haven't posted the position publicly.
And where are these people? LinkedIn. But not in the way you think.
Own Your Actions: Go Back to Job Search School
Here's where most people fail. They hear "learn new techniques," and suddenly they’ve lost all of their motivation.
But listen, this isn't rocket science. You just need to learn how the game is actually played in 2025. Right now, recruiters are using AI-assisted search tools on LinkedIn to discover candidates using very specific keyword searches. They're not scrolling through applications; they're hunting for people who show up in their searches.
That means your LinkedIn profile needs to be optimized like never before. You need to understand how recruiters search, what keywords matter in your industry, and how to make yourself discoverable.
This is non-negotiable. If you want different results, you have to take different actions.
Work It Daily: Consistency Beats Intensity
If you can commit just 15 to 30 minutes a day to backchanneling activities and LinkedIn optimization, you will get results. Not might. Will.
The problem? Most people won't do it. They'll read this, nod along, and then go right back to submitting applications into the void because "it's easier." And then they'll wonder why they're still unemployed six months from now.
But if you're one of the two out of ten people who actually implements this—who shows up daily, learns the strategies, and works the system—you're going to stand out in a sea of people doing the same ineffective thing.
Ready to Take Action? Get the 1-Hour LinkedIn Fast Fix
I've put together a resource specifically for this moment: the 1-Hour LinkedIn Fast Fix. It's exactly what it sounds like: one training that will teach you how to optimize your profile in under an hour, work the LinkedIn algorithm, and become visible to recruiters for those hidden jobs.
Get instant online access for just $19 HERE.
The job market is tough. But you're tougher.
Go get ‘em!
J.T. O’Donnell
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