Looking for a job has changed far more than most people are willing to admit. And no, this is not another “there are no jobs anymore” story or a nostalgic take on how “things used to be better”.
If you look at hard data like unemployment rates, including among younger people, the situation is not disastrous. In many cases, it is objectively better than it was 15 or 20 years ago.
The real problem is different.
Most people searching for a job are still mentally operating in a world that no longer exists. A world before social media, before remote work, before AI, before automation, and before hiring processes became as selective and data-driven as they are today. As a result, they rely on strategies that once made sense, but today are simply inefficient. Sometimes they actively work against you.
This article is based on what I have been observing for years: in recruitment processes, in conversations with people changing careers, inside KajoDataSpace, and in my own journey from a humanities background into data and analytics. There are no magic tricks here, but there is clarity.
Your CV Still Matters, but the Game Is Played Elsewhere
A CV is still the entry point. The mistake is treating it like it is still 2010.
Back then, a CV was basically a résumé in the literal sense: a list of jobs, responsibilities, and generic phrases like “computer skills” or “intermediate English”. That world is gone, even if many people haven’t noticed yet.
First of all, CVs are read by machines. Applicant Tracking Systems don’t care about fancy layouts or creative visuals. They care about structure, keywords, and clarity. A CV designed as an image or an overly styled PDF can be rejected before a human ever sees it.
Second, the quality of the text matters more than ever. Today, there is no excuse for chaotic, sloppy CVs written late at night under pressure. We have tools that help structure, polish, and refine language. And yet, I still see CVs that look rushed, unfocused, and careless.
The key thing to understand is this: a CV is not meant to “win you the job”. It is meant to help you avoid losing points early. It is a defensive tool. You are trying to eliminate obvious reasons for rejection, not impress with creativity.
Portfolios Are No Longer Optional
Writing “I know X” on your CV is no longer enough. What matters now is showing how you use your skills.
A portfolio is no longer reserved for a small elite. In a digital world, creating one is easier than ever. GitHub, simple websites, Canva, LinkedIn, Notion, personal blogs – there are plenty of options.
Here is the crucial part: if you have two candidates with similar CVs, the one with a solid portfolio almost always wins. Even more so if they can explain their work clearly: what problem they were solving, why they made certain decisions, and what they learned along the way.
This is especially important for career changers. A portfolio shows that you didn’t just “learn things”, but that you actually worked with real material, made mistakes, and improved.
Recruitment Processes Are Longer and More Chaotic
What many people describe as a “job market crisis” is, to a large extent, a correction after the COVID hiring boom. At that time, companies believed that hiring more people was the fastest way to win. Especially in tech and tech-adjacent roles.
The result was overhiring, followed by layoffs. Today, companies are more cautious. Recruitment processes are longer, multi-stage, and often inconsistent. Feedback may arrive late or not at all.
This leads to an uncomfortable truth: mental resilience is now a competitive advantage. People who don’t take every rejection personally, who understand that recruitment is a complex process rather than a judgment of their worth, perform better in the long run.
That is also why support systems matter more than they used to. Communities, mentoring, and shared experiences help people survive long hiring cycles without burning out. Going through this alone is simply harder than it needs to be.
Technical Tests Are Not Going Away
Despite popular belief, AI has not made technical tests obsolete. If anything, it has raised expectations.
Because learning is faster, standards are higher. This applies to juniors, mid-level professionals, and seniors alike. AI helps people learn, which means companies can demand more structured knowledge and better fundamentals.
A common mistake is chaotic learning: jumping from one tool to another without a clear plan. This is where many people get stuck.
AI should not “design your career” for you. You still need to understand when SQL makes sense, when Python is necessary, when a BI tool is enough, and when adding another technology is simply noise.
AI does not turn people into analysts, just like Wikipedia did not turn everyone into historians. Tools don’t replace understanding.
A New Business Opportunity for Technical People
One of the most interesting changes of recent years is happening at the intersection of technology and business. AI makes cross-department communication easier, but also more confusing.
Analysts talk about marketing, marketers talk about data, management talks about everything. In this apparent chaos, the people who do best are those who are curious and willing to understand how the business actually works.
Doing proper research before an interview is no longer optional. What does the company do? What problems does it have? How can your role realistically contribute?
Candidates who think this way consistently outperform those who treat recruitment as a checklist exercise.
Mass Applying Is Losing Effectiveness
Sending out hundreds of CVs used to be a strategy. Today, its effectiveness is dropping fast.
The market rewards relevance, networking, and intentional decisions. Saying “I want to be an analyst” is not enough. An analyst of what? In which domain? In which business context?
The clearer your answer, the easier it is to tailor your CV, portfolio, and conversations. The assembly-line approach to job applications no longer provides a real advantage.
Online Visibility as an Indirect Hiring Channel
No, posting charts on Instagram will not magically get you a job offer. But building visibility around your interests and expertise works over time.
A digital footprint helps people associate you with specific topics. Recommendations, conversations, and opportunities often appear indirectly.
I am a good example of this myself. I don’t have a technical degree, I didn’t work for Google or Netflix. And yet people reach out to me for mentoring, advice, and collaboration. Not because of formal credentials, but because I have been consistently talking about data from different perspectives for years.
Job Searching Is a Project, Not a Task
The most important mindset shift is this: job searching is a long-term project, not a single task.
It includes learning, networking, visibility, CV work, portfolios, and interviews happening in parallel. For people operating on autopilot, this is frustrating. For people who are curious and flexible, it creates opportunities that didn’t exist before.
Doors that used to be closed are now slightly open. But they don’t open by accident.
Conclusion
Changing jobs or careers has never been easy. What has changed is the way you need to approach it. Less automation, more intention. Less volume, more meaning.
If this article helped you see job searching from a different perspective, feel free to share it on your social media. Someone else might need this shift in thinking just as much as you did.
The article was written by Kajo Rudziński – analytical data architect, recognized expert in data analysis, creator of KajoData and polish community for analysts KajoDataSpace.
That’s all on this topic. Analyze in peace!
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