The State of Your Job Search

Have you been searching for a new job in 2025? Are you having a tough time?

I don’t have to tell you that we are in a strange moment with an unpredictable job market. Layoffs are very much in the news, particularly in government jobs. Almost 50,000 jobs were cut in January. It turns out, though, that while this is the lowest January round of job cuts in three years, it represents a 28% increase from December.

What does this have to do with your job search? Probably not much. Hiring is going on all the time, regardless of what’s happening in the news. I’m seeing plenty of clients interviewing and landing new roles. Of course you should always do your homework and proceed with caution when targeting specific companies.

Do Your Research

Look for fiscal health and secure funding where applicable. Talk to as many people as possible who work there, and ideally also at their competitors.

But don’t stop your search.

Your Job Search is About You

One trend that’s very much in the news is that recently laid off governmental employees are flooding the non-profit and private sector markets. While that may be true, I advise viewing your search as only about one person – you. Only you can control your search. And in good times and bad, you want to ask the right questions and make sure that you’re jumping to a new entity for all the right reasons.

Stand on Solid Ground

If there are red flags, don’t take the job. You have agency. The more you recognize that, the more powerful you will be in interviews and the more confident you’ll be when negotiating the salary and other compensation worthy of you.

So keep on going with your search. The only time you should call it off is if there are personal factors having only to do with you that make it a bad time to look for a new job.

If you need help, I hope you’ll reach out.