It’s nine months since reader Jon lost his job and despite his best efforts, he’s still not found anything new. Our Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice…
Question:
Dear James,
I am thoroughly depressed and, in fact, really starting to lose hope.
I was made redundant about nine months ago now. I’ve obviously been trying to find a new role but I’m really struggling and just not getting anywhere.
All I see on LinkedIn are similar stories of people who have lost their jobs and can’t find another one – sometimes after two years or more! What do I do?
Jon, Birmingham
Answer:
Obviously, Jon, the first steps to getting a new job are to get your CV properly sorted out – and also your LinkedIn profile.
I could talk for hours – days! – about either of these topics but all I’ll say about CVs today is that I firmly recommend you avoid using AI.
So many recruiters are now using AI themselves to filter out CVs where too much AI has been used in writing them – which means many CVs get thrown out by software before a human can even take a look at them.
And, on LinkedIn, all I’ll say is that the importance of a decent LinkedIn profile must not be underestimated. For more and more employers and recruiters, LinkedIn is now their first port of call when they are looking to hire someone.
So let’s move on to jobhunting itself. Job hunting in 2026 is very much a numbers game. The more effort you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Do get as many irons in the fire as you can. Upload your CV to job sites. Reach out to all appropriate recruitment agencies. Scan LinkedIn for job offers. Make an effort to go for every suitable opportunity and it may take time – but you *will* get there!
Top Tip:
Finding a job is one thing. Finding the *right* job is another. The more time you spend on job hunting, the greater the chances of finding your perfect next role.
Spotlight On: Redundancy
When a company has to make redundancies, it can be a very difficult time both for those being made redundant, and for those who have to decide where the headcount reductions can be made.
Selection for redundancy must always be done fairly, based upon level of experience, ability to do the job or, quite simply, whether the company can continue to justify paying a salary for that particular function.
Employers therefore have to be very careful not to leave themselves open to accusations of unfair dismissal by selecting people for redundancy based on protected characteristics such as age, gender or disability, as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .