04/09/2026
I met an old friend yesterday who I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was great to reconnect, but I did feel sad.
The guy has been through a tough time over the last couple of years, dealing with personal issues, and to compound everything, he was made redundant a few months ago.
He’s been struggling to find a new role, even though he has a strong work history, good longevity, and clear career progression at well-known companies.
Many applications and nothing. Not one interview.
I dug deeper to see where I could help.
I saw his CV was outdated. It was built up over the years by adding to it, but never refreshed with current eyes. It read like a job spec, talking about responsibilities rather than outcomes or achievements.
He hadn’t updated his LinkedIn profile in a long time. A very old photo of him from the noughties. Lots of connection requests and even recommendations he’d received but not accepted. And overall, a very poor LinkedIn presence.
Finally, I helped him understand not to take rejection personally. This is one of the hardest climates for job hunters I’ve seen in my recruitment career. The volume of applications is unreal.
You’re competing with AI-written CVs, often reviewed by AI with its own biases. And, frustratingly, these candidates may not actually be the best fit for the role, but they’ve made their CV look right for it.
This is a tough market. A bit like online dating. Your CV is your profile picture. You need to make sure it gets you noticed. And maybe swipe right more often than you would normally. And have faith that eventually, you will find the right match.