Here’s how to land a job in 2025’s brutal market
The job market is BRUTAL and UNFAIR right now. You’re applying. You’re networking. You’re doing “everything right.” But nothing is working for you!
You’re not alone. The system has changed so here’s the breakdown:
ONE — The Supply of Job Seekers Is Way Up
2025 started with a wave of layoffs. It’s already worse than 2023 and 2024 combined. Q1 layoffs have exceeded the entire total from previous years. (Yes, and it’s only April.)
More talent is flooding the market than companies can absorb. And that’s just one part of the problem.
TWO — The Demand for Job Seekers Is Still Down
Let’s take Product roles as a lens:
- In March 2022, there were ~486,000 open PM roles.
- In March 2025? Just 43,000.
That’s a 90% drop from the peak. And each role now sees 250+ applicants.
Which means you’re not just competing at this point. You’re competing at scale.
THREE — Hiring Is Slower, Tougher, and More Competitive
The average hiring cycle used to take 2–3 weeks. In 2025, it’s closer to 2–3 months.
PMs are saying it takes 3–6 months just to land interviews. Most people I know are rating the difficulty of the market a solid 9/10.
If you look closely, this isn’t another economic downturn. They’re literally restructuring of how hiring works and for who.
FOUR — Traditional Methods Are (Objectively) Failing
The numbers speak for themselves:
- <2% success rate for standard applications
- 15–25% success rate for strategic, network-driven approaches
Why?
- Volume problem: 200–300+ applicants per role
- Noise problem: Generic resumes get filtered by ATS
- Timing problem: By the time a job goes live, hiring is often already in motion
If you’re just “spraying and praying,” you’re already behind.
FIVE — Market Forecast: Tough Through Q2, Possible Recovery Later
Even optimistic job trend models don’t expect relief until Q3 or Q4. Most candidates need new strategies to survive the first half of 2025.
If you think just applying to jobs is going to cut through, you’re mistaken. You need to work differently and adapt to a market that’s fundamentally changed.
To help make sense of this chaotic market, I connected with 5 people who actually landed jobs in 2025 across different industries and roles.
I took their best insights and strategies… and broke them down here for you: Job Search Strategies That Actually Work in 2025
