2026 is right around the corner and for many people, a new year may also herald the search for a new job. But the labour market in 2026 looks to be a rough one with many companies tightening their hiring, the heavy use of automated tools to filter out resumes before a human actually sees them, and the squeezing out of middle professionals who are too qualified for junior positions but not qualified enough for senior ones. If you’re gearing up for a job search, the environment looks pretty inhospitable!
But this is where understanding the hidden job market and even more so, the importance of maintaining and strengthening various relationships becomes very important. After all, AI and tools like it aren’t going to completely replace the human touch, so it’s that you can really lean into when it comes to looking for work. But it’s important to start doing that work before you really start looking for a job as no one wants to help people they barely hear from. With the holidays and all the different events upon us, it’s a great time to reconnect not just with friends and family, but also with people in your field who might be able to help you later.
The Importance of the Network
It wasn’t that long ago that you could tap the hidden job market through sites like LinkedIn and then simply, and aggressively, posting that you were looking for work. Many people would also cold call businesses or drop off resumes in person, unsolicited. But these times they are a-changing and with that comes a change in how this is done. Try to cold call a business now and you’re liable to get punted out by the automated phone system! And many people have tried to drop of a resume somewhere only to be told that they have to apply online.
But the hidden job market is still very much alive and well, it’s simply changed its focus a little. Now more than ever before, it’s critical to keep those industry relationships alive and well, not just when you’re job searching, but even before it becomes important to pull on them. Reaching out regularly to your contacts simply to check in, give advice, be a shoulder and so on means that you’re more likely to be remembered when an opportunity arises and makes it more likely people will help you in your time of need. Even things as simple as commenting on the posts of others, reposting news, or offering congratulations or consolations in times of change are enough to make you stick out more in the minds of others. It also cultivates those relationships so that you’re not simply seen as a ‘taker’.
Cultivating your network usually means making contacts in your workplace and around your workplace, or on sites like LinkedIn, but also consider the network of people you can volunteer with, organizations you’re interested in supporting, and of course friends and family you trust. By keeping those connections healthy, you greatly broaden your ability to find opportunities and avoid the application process entirely. It’s also important to avoid burning bridges (as much as possible); while it may feel good to slam doors on people, it may hurt you more than them in the long run.
Here are some easy ways break into the job market before you desperately need it:
- Join niche communities for your industry. You can learn things, connect with people who are involved in your industry, and put yourself out as an expert.
- Reach out to former contacts, but no asks and no fishing for help; just a check in.
- Send tailored messages to people you respect in your field
- Engage in conversations online by posting, replying or reposting other peoples’ works
In short, it’s important to cultivate those relationships and keep them going rather than only relying on them when you need them most.
With much of the job application process being automated and taken to AI systems to filter resumes, it’s even more important to lean on the human part of the process. The hidden job market is the part of the system where humans are still absolutely the most important and it’s only rising in ascendence as everything else becomes flattened and automated. So, keep up those relationships and add more to your network through things like volunteering, classes, and organizations. You never know where an opportunity will come!
