Reflections

By the time this blog is posted it will be late March 2026. By that time as a Christian, (Roman Catholic), I will have been in the Lenten period of the church year for over a month. Lent is a time of reflection for Christians. Those reflections may be prompted in their interpretation and messages they receive in daily scripture reading. They may come from homilies they here from the leaders of their church. Or they may come from when they allow themselves to sit in silence, closed off from all distractions, and just process the messages they are receiving on how to move forward in a positive direction in their life.

When one finds themselves in job search, especially if it was because of a staff reduction that was unexpected, it can be a time of emotional grief. I have known clients, especially those whom I meet through outplacement assignments, who will say to me they want to work with me, but need to take time to absorb what has happened to them in the elimination of their job. When we do get started with our work, I look to draw out of them, thoughts they may have on what they may want to do next. Some of that may come through the completion of assessment tools, which look to bring out their “values” at this point of their life. Other ideas may come from encouraging them to read articles on types of work they think they may enjoy doing, or on companies for which they always envisioned working. While some may need to get back working quickly, I look to impress on them that perhaps they take a job role for which they are not really suited for “cash flow” needs, while they look to explore what they really would like to do.

Getting distracted is very easy in our world of today. I know I, as one who works much of his day at the computer, can find myself getting easily off course when I choose to look at other websites, or read articles that come up in front of me on the computer’s news feed. So, when it comes time to reflect on how you may want to move forward, here are some tips to make the most of your reflection time:

• Find a quiet place to be by yourself. You may have to close the door to your room. Or perhaps you may go to the local library and find a desk by yourself. Or if your thought process brings in a spiritual realm, stop by your local church.

• Jot down thoughts that come to you, which you may not have time to explore now, but may be ones to investigate further, later. As far as your medium for writing down your thoughts, just make sure it is one which you will immediately think to go to at that later time. For some, it could be on a notepad. For others it could be on their phone, (just make sure you write down the thoughts, and not begin scrolling into other applications).

• Look to make a schedule for yourself each week. What time are you blocking off as “me time?” Your “me time” could be for research on possible next opportunities for you. It can be time for networking meetings with others in the fields and industries you are looking to explore to learn more about the needs of those disciplines of interest to you. Look to make the “me time” non-negotiable if you can. It will not be all 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But, for those minutes or hours you set aside for yourself, the needs of others, (unless absolute emergency), will have to wait.

• Perhaps find a “job search buddy” for your search. They may be someone going through job search themselves. You are there to support them through their journey, while they are there to support you. Support may mean just listening to ideas prepared, interview practice, or keeping the other on track when they make a commitment to do a particular set of tasks as part of their search.

In a world of constant “noise” do you take time for yourself to reflect? Whether it is on the items that are most important for you to accomplish for you and your family, items on which you want to improve your skills or take up for enjoyment, or as we outlined here perhaps your next job opportunity, reflection is always there for you to plan out your next steps. It is up to you if you plan to use it as the gift that it is in your life.

The post Reflections first appeared on Absolute Transitions.

The “Hidden” Job Market

As a Job Search Strategy Coach, I continually am working with individuals who are in search of their next job opportunity. It is common that the initial questions I will receive will center around such topics, as what are the best job sites to use, how to you modify one’s resume to get it to the top of the pile to get past computer screening tools, and how can Artificial Intelligence make my resume stand out? These are all valid questions, as they are part of today’s job search process. However, experienced job searchers learn that applying to posted jobs that are advertised and posted online is not the only way to job search. Those who are “in the know,” or have been in search several times in their career, know the value of “the hidden” job market.

Before we go much further, let me make a few items abundantly clear. About 70% of all job openings are in “the hidden job market.” That means they are not posted or advertised on online sites. Secondly, to be able to access “the hidden job market,” you do not need to be part of some sort of secret society or underground group. However, to tap into the hidden job market, one does need to take control of their own job search and be willing to put effort into that search.

So, what type of effort is required? At the top of the list is both tapping into and building on your network of associates that you know. Those individuals can come be former work colleagues, your friends with whom you do activities, family members (both immediate and distant), and alumni from your college or high school. Each of these individuals may either know individuals in the disciplines which you work, that you in turn want to have as part of your network. It is taking the time to identify companies or organizations within your area that hire individuals with your skill sets, and reach out to learn of possible openings at the current moment. If employed, but not happy with what you are doing, it is learning of opportunities in other parts of the company in which you work. It is conducting “Informational Interviews” with others to learn about their career path trajectory, learning about what their organization does, and the challenges it faces. Or it could even be learning of challenges an organization is facing, listening to those challenges, and offering yourself as an expert in addressing those issues.

One may ask, why would an employer not post or advertise an opening, or may also ask aren’t they required to do so by law? Online advertising and posting costs money. It many times can be a long process, from time of posting, through going through screening with talent acquisition professionals, to multiple rounds of interviews. Also, usually those that are referred through the “hidden job market” come from trusted referral resources, particularly if they are individuals that have worked with the recommended candidate before.

Therefore, should one be exclusively using the “hidden” job market for their job search? No! In fact, one should keep in mind there are 4 ways to find a job. Those 4 ways do not stand on their own entirely. Posting for jobs one sees advertised on online job sites, (or company websites), still should be done. However, it should not be overdone. Review the job qualifications. How well do they match your qualifications that you provide, (i.e. are they at about an 80% or above match level)? Are you able to provide examples in the materials you provide when you apply that show how you have addressed the issues this organization is likely to have?

One may also want to reach out to recruiter or talent acquisition individuals, who specialize in one’s specialty. Individuals who recruit for your specialty will always want to have talented individuals at their fingertips to refer to possible job openings. Whether “hidden” job or not, the methods of networking or direct contact with a firm are also ways to learn of openings that are appropriate for you.

However, to exclusively tie one’s search to only certain job sites, or expect that if I use Artificial Intelligence tools to craft one’s resume, guarantees that I will be considered a top candidate for a job opening is a sad premise on which to rely. Realizing that your next job may not even be officially posted online, may be only a figment in the mind of a hiring manager, or even be developed based on a company learning of you and what you can provide, gives you another avenue to explore as you take on the search for your next opportunity.

The post The “Hidden” Job Market first appeared on Absolute Transitions.

Random Thoughts on the World of Job Search, 2026

When I first meet a new client, often assigned to me through one of the outplacement companies that I provide my talents through in job search strategy support, after discussing with the client the type of work they are looking to do next, I will share with them aspects of what to expect, in what I call “the world of job search, 2026.” The longer the client has been out of a formal job search, the more beneficial this is to them, so that they are not completely surprised as what to expect on the job search journey.

For example, we will have discussions on how their resume will never be 100% complete, but will likely need to be tweaked depending on the jobs to which they apply. Some of that is driven by the fact that resumes are now electronically screened by computer technology against the job description “and graded” to see how much a match that the candidate is for a position. The lower the score, the far less likelihood the candidate will be advanced for that position. If the candidate does make it past screening, I prepare them for the likelihood of multiple rounds of interviews, (perhaps as many as five or six rounds, sometimes more), as candidates for roles touch more areas in an organization, given today’s models of “flatter organization charts.” We will talk about items such as not hearing back from companies with which they have interviewed, (commonly called “ghosting”), especially if the client is used to o having had the courtesy in the past of being told if their candidacy would continue or not. Additionally, we also discuss and work together to evaluate if a job being pursued is one that is a realistic job, or possibly a “scam” by dishonest people to get client information and sometimes cash payment for services the job indicates the client will need.

In the last few years, I, as a job search strategy coach, have been exposed to changes in my work world. Two of the outplacement companies for which I worked have been bought up by other organizations, and I have found myself under “new management” with new policies on how I as a coach am expected both conduct and provide my services, and use administrative tools in those companies to track my progress with the client. As more people became a part of my profession of career coaching strategists, and the world of work became more a “virtual” environment, (think working from home anywhere from 2 to 5 days a week), new ideas and approaches to job search became the “hot topic” of the moment. Use of artificial intelligence tools being presented as “absolute musts” for the job searcher to use have become more the norm. In other instances, the presenting of job search as a series of online sites and tools, being the be all and end all of search, while the meeting with a coach only to be used “if necessary,” has become another popular approach that is advertised. Recently, I have been working on a “career fair”, where there has been a great deal of obsessing about potential attendees rating the value of the fair, based on if they get a conversation with a recruiter, as opposed to the concepts they will learn from the coaches and experts in the job search world that will be providing of their expertise, for free, as part of the fair.

So, when I evaluate where I fall on all these items and several more in the search process, here is what I believe. The methods I learned on career and job search strategy coaching from the Five O’Clock Club fifteen years ago, still govern much of my guidance to clients. Within those methods was a philosophy, “fads and phases come and go, but certain principles still hold true from generation to generation.” For example, the clients that I had who moved forward most successfully in their search in the last year, were very strong at defining who they were and the talents they offered. Additionally, they could convey that information both in writing and verbally. They were open to connecting with other professionals who they valued, investigated what those individuals knew of opportunities at companies where they worked, and at the same time were open to helping others if opportunities they came upon were not right for them. Clients that realized the job search was a “research project” and was their “job of the moment,” were the ones that also were the most successful. It may have taken them longer than they imagined to follow that next role, but in most instances, they found the right next role for them. Those are all basic Five O’Clock Club principles I learned so long ago.

If someone does not feel I am the right coach for them, I am not offended. I have a large network of professionals, who may be more appropriate for a client than I am. On the other hand, I know who I am in this profession, and if what I have to offer is right for you, I am going to give you all I can in terms of being a partner for you on your search. So, even though things “change in the world of search” staying true to who I am as a strategist in that world is how I can provide the most value to those I have the privilege to serve.

The post Random Thoughts on the World of Job Search, 2026 first appeared on Absolute Transitions.

What Value Do You Bring to Those You Serve?

I have been coaching and supporting those in job search for the last 15 years. Obviously, like anything else in society, there have been changes to the job search process. Resumes that are submitted for jobs now are for the most part submitted online, and go up against computer screening tools to see if they advance to a talent acquisition resource in the hiring process. The creation of those resumes is more often being done with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence tools. Online or over the air commercials call job searchers to use their company, or their technology as the only possible source for the job searcher to advance through to the interview process.

And, while there is some “truth” to these various claims and others like them, it is often done with a voice that is meant to stifle those like mine or others in my field of job search and career coaching, that were trained in the fundamental principles of job search practices. For example, while one may have to apply through an online site for a job role, it does not rule out that the ability to network into a company, or directly contact a person of importance with your qualifications, has completely gone away. Or, even if your resume was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence, it does not mean your resume is all completed, and you do not have to make refinements to it. In fact, one complaint I hear from recruiters and talent acquisition people is they have multiple resumes for the same job, and all the applicants sound, “exactly the same.” That is one of the fallouts when processes are done mechanically and not with human emotion and input.

One thing that has not changed and will only change if “EVERY JOB” can be done robotically and that the output of those jobs does not matter to the recipient of the product or service of an organization, is that companies that truly value their customers, products produced, and services, will look to hire individuals that are able to demonstrate “the value” that they will bring to the role they are being asked to fill in support of that company. In my coaching studies that took place long ago as a Five O’Clock Club trained coach, and which I make sure to impress on the job search clients I coach today, “Companies hire individuals who are able to demonstrate THE VALUE they bring to the organization’s mission in serving their clients.”

So, how does one know “the value” they provide to an organization or client through the work they do. It is not just by listing the skills in which you are trained, or the certifications or degrees you have earned, though those may be required or needed to even be considered for the job role. It is not by how many years you have worked in a role. And, it is not only the salary you may have earned in performing that role during your career.

Value is conveyed in the “stories” of your career. It is being able to convey the Challenges or Situations that you were asked to confront in the work that you have done. It is the Tasks you took on to address those challenges. Supporting those Tasks were definitive Actions you developed and employed. Ultimately, the value is shown through the Results obtained. Sometimes those results are expressed in dollars saved, time saved, processes implemented or even awards for jobs well done. However, in other job roles, the value is expressed in the service provided to a customer, perhaps in their getting the product or service they needed to go on with their life, or in providing maybe that special gift for that someone in their life they wanted to feel special. Through attentive focus on those that you are meant to support and serve, can you really identify the value you are meant to provide.

So, as you may be one who is moving forward in 2026 to find that next client you are meant to serve, or job position you are meant to fill, and you are finding the mechanics of the job search process getting you down, take a step back to evaluate not only the type of work you do, but “the value” of your doing that work correctly meaning for those that you serve. It may not always eliminate the frustrations in a job search process. However, it will help you to prepare to identify the types of job roles that are right for you. It will assist you in communicating to others how you are able to be the one to help service their customers or fellow team members in a company. And, most of all, it will make you realize that what you do is not “just a job,” but you bringing “value” to those who rely on someone with your skills in the work that you do.

The post What Value Do You Bring to Those You Serve? first appeared on Absolute Transitions.

Ebbs and Flows

If we had our way and the ability to control every aspect of our life, we would look to make it a consistent pattern on positive occurrences. In my field as a Job Search Strategy Coach, it would mean a regular stream of clients, enough to keep me busy, but not so much as to overwhelm me. As the end of 2025 was coming near, I was experiencing a down turn of client appointments. Some of that was gratefully from clients landing their next opportunities. Other slowdowns were occurring when clients with whom I was actively working would not respond to my follow-up calls and emails. Still others were when clients were assigned to me from an outplacement service where I get a good deal of my business, decided they did not want to take advantage of the benefit they were offered.

Unexpectedly, as 2025 was coming to an end, there was a surge in client activity. Some came from reach out by private clients that I had either worked with before, or through referrals from those who know the kind of work that I do. Another outplacement vendor that I have worked with on two occasions in the past when they had overwhelming volume, reached out again to me on Christmas Eve with the need for additional coaching assistance to handle a client influx. My January of 2026 has been my busiest month in a while.

The same thing holds true for those who are my clients, job searchers looking for their next opportunity. Those clients often initially find that when they start applying for jobs that no one is reaching back in response to their application. As time moves forward, they may begin to see a trickle of activity. Some of that may come by learning that just applying directly online is not the only way to find opportunities. They learn the importance of reaching out to those they have worked with in the past to learn of opportunities at companies that they work. Others, learn that family members, or contacts of family members may be of assistance in the search. Still others learn how to improve their presentation tools, both written and verbally, so that others get to know the skills the job searcher possesses and the problems that they solve.

So how is one to manage the ebbs and flows in their life, (whether it is in a job search, or just managing the day to day and week to week existence)? I find what first helps me is having a schedule or calendar with which to refer. What things to I have coming up over the next few days, next couple of weeks, or the next month. Based on that, what am I able to truly take on, and frankly what may I have to put aside to another time. I look to make sure the more definitive I know those items I need to do, that I have them in front of me, (either again on a calendar or a to do list).

One of the other things I am finding is very important is to recognize the distractions in one’s life, and discipline one’s self to avoid them as best as possible. Is your distraction your phone? Perhaps you can put it on silent or vibrate, and only respond to it at certain times of the day. Is it being drawn into internet sites that catch your eye, while you are actively working on something that requires your complete focus and attention. If possible, stay off those sites, or shut them down, and leave up only those resources you absolutely need to complete the work you need to do.

If the flows have you overwhelmed, is it possible to reschedule some of the items to a less busy period, or perhaps use the assistance of a trusted friend, family members, or confidant to help. And, if the ebbs have one disappointed, such as they may never find the type of work that they need to do to maintain their income or lifestyle, one can look at that time as perhaps a time to learn a new skill that will help make them more desirable. This is where an online world of free seminars or webinars becomes very important. Also, look for opportunities to connect with others, be that in person, or virtually at networking events of those having the same needs as yourself.

The world of work 2026 frankly is one, whether you are an independent business owner or even a major corporation, that you cannot completely control the flow of work coming your way to meet the needs of your customers. With that reality in mind, there could be times where frankly you become a candidate to be laid off from your job, or see your role terminated. The ebbs and flows of the workforce will continue to come. And, as such one needs to be prepared to respond to them when they come a calling. Are you prepared for the ebbs and flows in your life in 2026?

The post Ebbs and Flows first appeared on Absolute Transitions.