If you're looking for a job, we know things feel grim.
White-collar hiring has slowed, and many people are clinging to their jobs even if they're unhappy. The competition for open roles remains fierce. With job applications piling up and layoffs, budget cuts, and economic uncertainty haunting both people and businesses, a job market that feels "meh" could soon get a lot worse.
At Business Insider, we're constantly studying the changing workplace and collecting the most up-to-date expert advice for job-seekers. We've tapped HR managers, recruiters, career coaches, and executives for their best advice on everything from crafting a standout resumé to networking your way to a final offer.
We've also talked to dozens of non-experts — regular people who've managed to break through and land dream job offers — and asked them to share their job search happy endings and hard-won wisdom.
Below you will find a list of the top AI skills to make yourself marketable, the new rules all job-seekers need to know in 2025, and the most unforgettable cover letter a long-term recruiter ever received. A tech worker who landed six-figure roles at Meta and Google by finding the "third door" shared his trick for breaking into companies and the exact résumé he uses. A 37-year-old account manager who found a job five months after being laid off shared how he did it — and how he never lost his optimism. An ex-Amazon VP who's viewed 10,000-plus résumés in his career revealed the most common mistakes he's seen and how to fix them.
Now more than ever, it's imperative for job-seekers to stand out from the pack. Here's how experts told us today's job seekers can do just that.
What the pros say
I've been a recruiter for 38 years. This is the one cover letter I'll never forget.
Looking for a job in a recession? Here's the advice this career coach gives her clients.
Sometimes, endless rounds of job interviews can be a good thing
This recruiter uses a late-night text message to see if job candidates are a good fit
Real-world success
Don't get tricked into thinking you need to spend money to land a job. Here's how to access free resources, from a recruiter.
This LinkedIn cold-outreach template helped job seekers land roles at companies like Amazon and Airbnb
10 tech executives told us the top skills you need in the age of AI
I made an AI tool to run my job search, and it helped me get my dream role
I found a job 5 months after being laid off. Here are the 6 strategies I used to get hired and stay optimistic.
I'm a 25-year-old who's worked at McKinsey and landed a director-level tech job. My secret to success? Biz rizz.
Give yourself an edge
The new rules for job searching
4 things to stop sharing online if you're looking for a job
Level up your résumé
I'm an ex-Amazon VP who's viewed 10,000 résumés in my career. Here are the top 6 mistakes I've seen and how to fix them.
4 things on a résumé that matter way more than the college you attended, according to a tech and finance recruiter
I landed a Big Tech job after countless rejections. Here's the exact résumé that finally got me in.
Your résumé is probably getting too long. Here's how to fix it.
Credits
Reporters: Charissa Cheong, Alyshia Hull, Aki Ito, Christine Ji, Robin Madell, Michelle Mastro, Tim Paradis, Melissa Petro, Jacob Zinkula, Ana Altchek, Sarah Needleman
Editors: Eric Bates, Emily Canal, Kiera Fields, Clementine Fletcher, Lauryn Haas, Manseen Logan, Akin Oyedele, Debbie Strong, Jane Zhang, Cadie Thompson, Julia Herbst
Expert Panel: Ethan Evans, Andrew Yeung, Madeline Mann, Marnie Lemonik