Economic uncertainty, societal shifts, and relentless technological advancements. In a world that’s ever-evolving, the fundamentals of job-seeking hold fast. Connecting with the right people, identifying promising opportunities, and effectively marketing oneself remain pivotal in securing the ideal job. However, the way in which we go about these activities in the coming year will need to evolve in response to an ever-evolving career landscape.

As we prepare to usher in a new year of change, it is critical for job seekers to understand how the latest career trends will impact their search efforts. Below are some of the changes you can expect in 2024 and what they will mean for your job search.

UPSKILL TO ADAPT TO CHANGING JOB REQUIREMENTS

As technology and automation continue to transform the way we work, the skills and knowledge needed to perform our job will also continue to change at a breakneck pace. In fact, the average half-life of skills—the halfway point for a skill set to no longer be effective—is now less than five years, and in some tech fields, it’s as short as two-and-a-half years, according to this report.

Both upskilling, the process of improving an existing skill set or acquiring new skills in demand in a particular industry or profession, and reskilling, the process of learning a completely new set of skills that may be unrelated to one’s current job or expertise—will be key to staying relevant and standing out in the 2024 job market.

If you’re currently employed and considering a new job, take advantage of any opportunity your employer offers to upskill and develop your digital skills. If your employer doesn’t offer such support—or you’re currently unemployed—start exploring job listings that interest you to get a sense of what skills you’ll need to learn or improve upon in order to be a more attractive candidate. There are numerous ways to upskill or reskill, including formal education programs, online courses, workshops, and other professional-development opportunities. Trade publications, networking groups, and conferences geared toward your field or profession are also great sources for pinpointing the latest trends in your work and discovering appropriate training opportunities.

This career investment will not only help you become a more qualified candidate, but also may open doors to valuable new networking connections and career opportunities.

PERSONAL BRANDING

While personal branding has always been an integral part of the job-search process, it will take on greater significance for job seekers in the new year. There are two main reasons for this: First, a LinkedIn survey revealed that 85% of recruiters believe engaging with passive candidates—those who have not actively applied for a particular position—will become more important for bringing in top talent over the next few years. Even the most diligent job seekers will not uncover every relevant job listing that’s online, and not all jobs are publicly advertised. To be exposed to those “hidden jobs,” you must have a strong online presence on sites like LinkedIn and various job boards so that recruiters can find you.

And second, the career-services industry is embracing AI-driven tools and other technologies to provide more personalized job recommendations and career advice, based on a person’s online activities, job preferences, and previous job applications. In order to capitalize on these advancements and improve their accuracy, job seekers will need to have a strong online brand that supports their current job goals.

Make sure that all your profiles on LinkedIn, relevant job boards, and career-services platforms like Career.io are completely filled out, customized to support your current job preferences and goals, and list your relevant skills and experience. If you’ve participated in any upskilling or reskilling activities to boost your employment prospects, be sure to incorporate those details into these profiles, in addition to your résumé, so readers know your qualifications.

REFOCUS ON (RE)LOCATION

In the early post-pandemic years, we saw companies across the globe embracing flexible work arrangements and offering their employees permanent remote work options on a full-time or hybrid basis. However, the past year has been marked by many businesses reneging on these commitments and mandating a return-to-office (RTO) for all employees after voicing concerns over productivity, collaboration, and cultivating a consistent company culture among all workers. Unsurprisingly, employees are pushing back, with 98% of remote employees expressing a desire to continue working remotely throughout their careers, according to Buffer’s State of Remote Work report.

This RTO battle is sure to continue into 2024 (and beyond), as more companies give workers an ultimatum: Come back to the office or lose your job. Those actively searching for work may need to pay closer attention to locations listed on job postings than they have in the past few years and target positions that are within commutable distance, should the company suddenly backpedal on its flexible work arrangements. There may also be more room to negotiate relocation costs with a prospective employer, should you find the right opportunity in the wrong location. If you’re willing to relocate for work, make this clear on your résumé and LinkedIn profile, as this may make your candidacy stand out among others.

If you wish to work remotely on a part-time or full-time basis, research the company and carefully review the job description to find opportunities that explicitly offer flexibility. Run a Google News search to see which employers are being mentioned in headlines associated with RTO mandates. In addition, visit company-review sites like Glassdoor, Comparably, and CareerBliss to see what candidates and employees are saying about the company’s work policies. Last, leverage job boards that specialize in remote work or allow you to filter locations for remote- and hybrid-work options, which will save you unnecessary stress as you search for your next role.

AI-POWERED JOB SEARCH

While artificial intelligence—particularly generative AI, such as ChatGPT—took the world by storm in 2023, this coming year we’ll see more job seekers and recruiters using GenAI and other AI-powered tools to automate certain tasks and improve both the efficiency and quality of their activities.

Thanks to new tools like Career.io, job seekers won’t have to spend endless hours updating and optimizing their résumé, tailoring their cover letters, and composing messages for potential employers. Candidates will be able to practice their interviewing skills on demand for specific roles or companies, and receive nearly instant feedback to improve both their delivery and confidence. It will also be easier for candidates to compare salary ranges and seek a fairer compensation package. So far, these are all wins for job seekers.

However, job seekers need to be wary of scammers who are stealing personal information (e.g., social security number, bank details) via fake AI-generated job postings. Be careful about the positions you apply to and do your due diligence on the company’s website to confirm the opportunity is real. You should never—I repeat, never—have to provide sensitive information on a job application.

In addition, with the advances in technology, it’s become so easy to apply for jobs that companies are more inundated with applications than ever. Unfortunately, this barrage can make it more difficult for your application to stand out, especially when applications will likely get scanned by AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS). To successfully pass the ATS test, avoid unconventional résumé designs and stick with a document that uses clearly marked headers and straightforward language, includes relevant keywords that match the job description, clearly highlights your qualifications, and avoids custom fonts or embedded images.

Lastly, job seekers should expect to face more online skill assessments during the candidate-vetting process. Interviews will remain virtual for the most part, with some employers utilizing video platforms like HireVue that record candidates’ answers to a series of automated questions and then analyze their responses using algorithms.

By embracing these anticipated changes to the job market, you will rise above the crowd and have a good shot at increasing your chances of landing a new job in the new year.