12 Years Recruiting. I've Never Seen a Job Market Like This (Here's What's Working Now)

After 12 years in recruitment, I can tell you this: I have never seen a job market quite like this one. And the women who get chosen aren't the ones waiting for things to settle. They're the ones reading the shift early and positioning themselves before the market does it for them.

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Learn more here 👉 https://www.georgiehubbard.com/bold-moves

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This episode is for every woman who's been applying for roles and hearing nothing back. For every woman who's wondering why her experience isn't translating into interviews. For every woman who's starting to feel like the old playbook doesn't work anymore.

Because it doesn't.

The old way was simple: apply online, send your CV, wait for the call. The new way requires something different. You need to be easy to find. Easy to understand. Easy to remember. And easy to choose.

In this episode, I break down exactly what's working in the market right now. Why applying online isn't enough. Why your LinkedIn profile needs to be searchable, not just presentable. Why your CV needs to be tailored to every single role, not just updated. And why your network is the most valuable career asset you have, whether you're actively looking or not.

I also share the new rules that matter: get explicitly clear on what you want, position yourself for those roles, package yourself correctly on LinkedIn and your CV, activate your network before you need it, and show up visibly so the right people can find you.

This isn't about doing more. It's about doing the right things strategically. And if you've been keeping your head down doing excellent work and hoping that's enough, this episode will show you exactly what's missing.

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📚 The Bold Move: https://www.theboldmovebook.com

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Connect with Georgie:

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiehubbard/

🟪 Instagram: http://instagram.com/georgielhubbard

♦️ Website: https://www.georgiehubbard.com

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Chapters

00:00 The market has changed, and what that means for you

00:23 Why this episode is unfiltered

01:25 Three weeks in the UK, family, and the value of stepping away

03:06 What women have been saying since Georgie got back

03:41 Twelve years recruiting, and a market she has never seen before

04:16 Inside organisations right now: hiring on pause, AI investment, slower decisions

06:34 What used to work, and why it stopped working

06:50 Why your application is not reaching a human

08:33 Rule one: get explicitly clear on what you want next

10:17 Rule two: position yourself for the role you want, not the one you have had

11:22 Rule three: a CV tailored to the job, not your entire history

12:17 Rule four: activate your network before you need it

13:19 Rule five: visibility, and the shift from SEO to AEO

15:16 Easy to find, easy to understand, easy to remember, easy to choose

15:40 The CV test: so what? What changed because you were there?

17:12 LinkedIn is prime real estate: headline, about, skills, activity

19:01 One coffee a week, and why you should never ignore a recruiter

20:01 Nobody is thinking about your post as much as you are

20:45 Interviews: you can always tell who prepared

23:00 Do not wait until you are desperate

23:44 What happens inside Bold Moves

26:20 Final thought, and what is coming next on the podcast

What you'll take away

The market changed, and it is not your fault. Fewer roles, more competition, and organisations taking far longer to decide.

Clarity comes first. You cannot position yourself for something you have not named. Most women can list what they do not want. Far fewer can say what they do.

Your LinkedIn is optimised for the roles you want, not the roles you have had. If it reflects your past, you will keep attracting your past.

Every line on your CV has to answer "so what?" Responsibilities are what everyone lists. Outcomes are what get you shortlisted.

Build the relationship before you need it. One coffee a week with a recruiter, an old colleague or a former manager.

Visibility is an investment, not showing off. AI models pull from LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit and Wikipedia. Being findable now is what makes you findable later.

with confidence

Georgie 💜