With huge swaths of staff being laid off, and with AI in almost every News cycle, LinkedIn post, Twitter feed, and job description - it's no wonder jobseekers are starting to get a little nervous! Applicants are feeling much heavier competition for roles, with more numerous and tougher stages. New skills are being sought by employers, and the workforce is definitely feeling pressure to adopt and increase their output.

It's not all doom and gloom though! Melica Moshiri, Founder of SkillTorch, is here to help shine a light on the current state of the market - and what a candidate can do to increase their chances of getting hired. She was kind enough to come on the show for an interview and help lay out what the market looks like for candidates AND recruiters right now.

You can listen to it here.

Some highlights from Melica’s Interview:

• The market works in cycles. We're currently exiting a dip and now slowly back on the rise. Where previously there were 10 open roles from a company, now there may only be 6...but more are coming down the line!

• Current global political situation worldwide is also having a strong economic effect. 2 Wars on the global stage, and the upcoming Presidential Elections in the US mean many are holding their breath to see what happens next. This is leading businesses to "tighten their belts".

• AI tooling IS being used during recruitment process, but an effective recruitment process needs to have extensive human contact. There's no fear of being automatically rejected by a black-box system. There NEEDS to be calls and face-to-face meetings between Applicants and Recruiters. It can't all be done over Email and Telegram!

• Employers are looking for Cloud Skills and Deep Learning. AWS, Snowflake, GCP, as well as Python, are strong skills to bank on.

• When it comes to AI and Deep Learning skills that are currently in demand - what matters most is practical experience. Self-learning and building a portfolio helps, but it's actual real-world experience that will get you hired. Ask your current employer/manager if you can participate in any AI or Deep Learning project that's going on, and get stuck in! That real, lived-in experience will put your head-and-shoulders above other candidates.

• Apart from Technical skills, Companies are putting a much stronger focus on SoftSkills and Cultural fit.
  Good thing that you're subscribed to the SpeakingSoftware Show!

• Applicants need a way to demonstrate their fit, as well as set themselves apart from the competition. The way to do that is personal branding!
  LinkedIn posts are a great way to demonstrate your authority of your craft as well as draw visibility. Videos, Blog Posts, Articles, joining other people's podcasts and videos, etc. are all invaluable opportunities to showcase your personality, thought process, values, and ideas in a way that your GitHub Profile never could.

It's definitely worth checking out the full interview, as there's loads more value to be gleamed!

If there's anything from the episode that you find interesting, don't be afraid to reach out to either myself or Melica.
And if you're looking for a new role - give SkillTorch a try. You won't regret it!

If you liked this interview, you’ll probably love my book Your Dream Developer Job!
It’s jam-packed with information on how to set yourself as the ideal candidate for the next role you apply to.