📉 Past vs. Present: The Job Market Reality
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
This coming year marks my 9th year in recruitment.
Since starting in 2017, I’ve witnessed how dramatically the market has shifted.
1. Companies today are far more cost-conscious:
🏢 Leaner structures, fewer headcounts
⚔️ Cut-throat performance expectations:
If you can’t deliver, you’re out quickly
2. 💰 Replacement hires often come at a discount
(CFO/COO roles now budgeted 10–20% lower than before)
These changes hit hardest at the entry level and executive level:
- 🎓 Fresh graduates struggle because employers prefer candidates with a few years of experience.
- 👩🦳 Professionals in their late 40s–50s face challenges too, as companies lean toward “cheaper” hires with less experience.
3. At the same time, LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for both candidates and clients.
I’ve received more CVs with great quality ones in recent years.
Even stable candidates who used to be passive are now mostly active because we have seen layoffs happening every year.
4. Outsourcing hubs in Malaysia, India, and Sri Lanka are booming 🌏, while developed cities face higher costs.
And now, AI is gradually reshaping shared service centers, adding another layer of uncertainty.
5. Summarising all the above, there are more challenges than benefits.
The benefits would lean towards those with few years of working experience, ageing 25 - 40 years old.
It would be prime time for this age group because employers favour the most of this age group.
Employers don't need to spend too much time to train them and they are not the most expensive within this age group.
If you are in this age group, please make good use of the opportunity to move upward and forward.
💡 My Reflection
The job market has always been cyclical, but today’s environment feels sharper, faster, and more unforgiving.
Yet, it also opens new opportunities for those who adapt whether that’s leveraging LinkedIn, exploring emerging markets, or embracing new skills.
👉 I’m curious:
- How has the job market shift affected you or your industry?
PS: If you’re job hunting today, feel free to check out my guides on:
📝 Fixing Your CV & LinkedIn in 1 Day
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