News from PARWCC!
| View in browser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Inside the Industry Powering Career Reinvention in the AI Age
Inside the Industry Powering Career Reinvention in the AI Age
PARWCC Spotlights the Coaches, Certifications, and Competitions Shaping the Future of Work
St. Petersburg, FL [March 24, 2025] — As the job market undergoes seismic shifts driven by automation, layoffs, and evolving work expectations, a once-overlooked profession is becoming essential: career coaching. The Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARWCC) is the longest-standing association and continues to lead the industry in this new AI age, helping Americans rethink, reposition, and reinvent their careers in the face of disruption.
“Career professionals are no longer just résumé writers. Our career coaches and résumé writers are behavior analysts, AI interpreters, and personal brand architects,” said Margaret Phares, Executive Director of PARWCC. “We are the backbone of the modern job search, and the demand for our expertise is surging – although DIY services like ChatGPT are at an all-time high, creating a sea of sameness from applicants to hiring managers.”
With 2025 already marked by major federal workforce concerns, tech-sector shakeups, and a generational shift in how Americans view their careers, PARWCC is taking three bold steps to meet the moment.
1. The Certification Fueling Career Comebacks
The relaunched Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) program – now featuring updated modules on post-pandemic transitions, AI readiness, and online reputation management – trains career professionals to support job seekers, from students to executives in the market. Led by renowned coach Diane Hudson, the CPCC integrates a whole-person coaching framework to address the psychological and tactical dimensions of career change.
“The CPCC program helps career coaches go beyond the résumé to support the whole person – helping clients navigate identity shifts, overcome roadblocks, and build meaningful careers,” said Diane Hudson, CPCC Program Director. “It’s not just about getting someone hired – it’s about helping them define success on their own terms.”
2. Recognizing Résumé Writing as a High-Stakes Craft
This prestigious contest culminates at the annual Thrive! Conference this April will announce the Elite Circle Résumé Contest, highlighting the profession’s best résumé writers – those who outperform AI tools and their peers – by strategically translating complex careers into powerful narratives.
“This contest is about spotlighting excellence in résumé writing – but more than that, it’s about honoring the craft and impact behind our work,” said John Suarez, program director of Fundamentals of Résumé Writing program and contest judge. “A great résumé doesn’t just get someone an interview. It reminds them of their value. It rebuilds confidence. It changes lives.”
Winners will be honored at the Thrive! 2025 conference, celebrating human-centered excellence in an age of automation.
3. Thrive! 2025: Where Career Experts Shape the Future of Work
Set to take place April 27–29, 2025, in Chicago, Thrive! is PARWCC’s flagship gathering of the global career services community. The event features deep-dive workshops on executive branding, AI-enhanced coaching, and the latest tools to help professionals navigate a rapidly changing employment landscape.
Tickets are still available to those wishing to attend the live, in-person event where you can learn from industry experts.
Why This Matters Now
According to CareerBuilder and Zippia data, 1 in 3 Americans are considering a career change, and more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies now use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen résumés – making expert strategy a necessity, not a luxury. Meanwhile, the coaching industry is expected to grow to $30 billion globally by 2030 (IBISWorld), as workers seek more personalized, strategic support.
“Our members are rewriting the future of work – one job seeker at a time,” Phares added. “And with every certification, every contest, and every conference, we’re building the next generation of trusted career professionals.”
For more information on PARWCC programs, membership, or Thrive! 2025, visit www.parwcc.com.
About PARWCC
The Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARWCC) is the premier organization for career coaching and résumé writing professionals. Through education, certification, and advocacy, PARWCC equips its members with the tools and knowledge to excel in the ever-evolving job market while driving success for their clients.
Media Contact:
Margaret Phares
Executive Director, PARWCC
[email protected]
Making Money is the Greatest Skill of All
It’s unavoidable. There is a never ending torrent of links that offer you yet another skill. Each one requires a major investment of your time and money. In this article, I’ll suggest a way you can choose the skill that will make you the most profit.
Vendors market applications or certifications. But what they package are sets of skills. That’s quite a challenge for them. Vendors must guess at which skills their huge number of customers will find most useful. After all, no two users have identical needs. That’s why vendors sometimes overload their products with dozens and dozens of features. The results? Detailed and complicated documentation and interfaces. Certifications are usually better focused. But there is still the need to transform the general into the specific.
As soon as you think of “skills” as “capabilities,” life becomes a great deal easier. Your clients only care about the products and services you deliver, not the skills you used to generate them. Everything you offer, from résumés, to cover letters, to interviewing and more are all capabilities your clients need to excel in their careers. You gave them value by comparing the tools they had when they came to you with the knowhows they needed to win that next job. In short, you filled their capabilities gap.
The same thing applies to your practice. The very first step is to determine what kind of clients you want to serve: your market. Mid-level managers, students, specific functional areas all need different products and services. Your market must drive your brand. What must you do to serve your particular clients very, very well?
Set aside uninterrupted time to imagine your practice as the very best it could possibly be. Describe that in as much detail as you can muster. Few things help you focus better than to put your ideas in writing. When you’re done, put it away for a few days. Now look at your words again to be sure they work for you.
Here is the key question: which competencies do you need that you either don’t have or aren’t working for you? Again, avoid thinking about skills. Think about capabilities.
Long ago, when Twitter (now X) came out I wondered if it offered value to my executive clients. So I focused my question this way: Which enhanced job searching capabilities will Twitter allow my executive clients to use that they can’t get anywhere else?
I searched for the experts. I went beyond reading Twitter’s marketing and sales material. While it described capabilities, I needed a more balanced view. I googled all the books I could find about Twitter. The tables of contents and the indices showed me which ideas the authors thought most powerful. The authors’ backgrounds determine their credibility.
I talked with authors. I studied the books they wrote. It didn’t take long to find which Twitter capabilities would work best for my clients and why. Those competences translated into value. And the value drove my marketing and the products and services delivered to my clients. It also gave me a return on investment I got by using that new knowledge to serve my clients better.
You can employ the same approach to great advantage when it comes to certifications. You ask the very same question of the provider: What will I be able to do once I have the certification that I couldn’t do before I earned it? How much will this certification cost?
That number goes far beyond the registration fee. Certifications require your time. For the word “time” read “billable hours.” Your new certification will burn up more time because it will be part of the new content you post on social media. But there’s even more. It will take more time to educate your clients on the wisdom you mastered in the certification.
You must do the math. Your detailed business plan (I sincerely hope you have one of those and it’s current) can tell you what’s your time is worth. You can get a quick estimate by looking at last year’s tax return. How much profit, not revenue, did you make last year? About how many hours did you spend running your practice? Divide the latter by the former and you’ll find out what you must do before your certification or application amortizes itself.
I hope this example will illustrate the process. The numbers you see are for illustration only and not recommendations.
Last year, your practice delivered $80,000 in profits. You worked 50 hours a week, but not every single week. There were holidays and vacation times. So you worked a total of 45 out of the 52 weeks in the year. That translates into 2,250 hours. You brought in $80,000 in profits or about $36 an hour.
The certification you’re considering costs $795. You’ll have to work 22 more hours to cover that number. But you must cover the cost of time completing the course. In our example, the certification requires a total of 15 hours. And you think it will take about 30 hours to build the handouts for your clients, update your website, and do the initial postings. So you must invest a total of 22+30 or 52 hours. Your additional cost is $36 an hour for 52 hours or $1,872. Now the total is $1,872 + $795 or $2,667.
Please don’t be put off by that number. Let’s put it in context. Your financial management software is ready to come to your rescue. It will tell you how many clients you served last year. And since you know the profit, you now have the profit per client. Let’s assume you served 50 clients. Each brought you $1,600 in profit.
Finally you have the answer to this key question: how many new clients must I close to cover the complete cost of the certification or application? Just divide the total cost ($2,667) by the revenue per client ($1,600) to find you must bring in just two more clients to amortize your investment. You could probably do that in your sleep.
Now I’ll sharpen my first suggestion that you think of skills as opportunities. Consider skills in two ways: as value delivered to your client, and profits delivered to you.
The Resume Writer’s Guide to Losing Weight
Some rules of English grammar have endured for longer than you might have imagined. The concept of “end-weight” first appeared in Lindley Murray’s 1795 book English Grammar (revised in 1832) and served as a template for grade-school grammar lessons for centuries.
Murray described how English speakers tend to instinctively apply sentence weight rules:
“Longer or complex phrases (such as prepositional phrases) inherently carry more weight than simpler clauses. Excessive complexity at the start can confuse or disengage the reader. The sentence, “It was thoughtful of Mary to send me a card for my birthday,” sounds better than, “For Mary to send me a card for my birthday was thoughtful.” Linguists have tested pairings of this nature, and the audience always prefers the heavier end-weight structure. The latter feels awkward because the weighty idea comes too early and is distracting.”
I see this “seesaw” rule violated in CPRW test submissions all the time. My guess is that candidates fear leaving out any “important” information, so they write paragraphs and bullet points that are longer and more complex than they need to be. According to Murray, that’s a problem.
If an aspiring résumé writer has been exposed to the Challenge-Action-Result (C-A-R) methodology that we use to collect accomplishment-based information from our clients, it makes sense that they might also write a bullet point in the same sequence. According to Murray, that’s a problem.
We talk about “front-loading” accomplishments all the time, and apparently the effectiveness of that construction is grounded in linguistic research as well as résumé style. The problem is…the writer has to learn to express a bullet point in the reverse order (R-A-C), sometimes even minimizing or eliminating the “C” to maintain a sensible sentence weight. Think of too many words and syllables as the equivalent of too many calories.
Sentence weight is perhaps the most distinguishable behind-the-scenes variable between an entry-level community college student résumé and a tenured senior-level executive résumé. To make it more of a deliberate part of your writing, here are some other sentence weight concepts to consider:
- Prioritize Front-Loaded Impact | Place the most critical information—action verbs and results—at the beginning of each bullet point. Hiring managers skim résumés quickly; leading with impact ensures key achievements are noticed.
-
- Before: Worked on improving customer retention through various strategies.
- After: Increased customer retention by 30% through targeted engagement strategies.
- Use Sentence Length for Emphasis & Readability | Keep bullet points concise (1–2 lines max) while ensuring they remain impactful. Avoid long-winded explanations that dilute emphasis. Break complex ideas into two related bullet points if necessary.
- Eliminate Weak Verbs & Redundant Language | Replace generic verbs with strong, industry-specific action verbs. Instead of “Helped with project management tasks.”, try “Orchestrated cross-functional projects, ensuring on-time completion.” “Helped” is weak and vague; “orchestrated” conveys leadership.
- Balance Parallelism & Sentence Variety | Maintain consistent structure for readability while avoiding monotony using strong, varied verbs. This makes your writing more balanced and more memorable.
- Weak:
- Managed daily operations of the department.
- Was responsible for hiring and training new staff.
- Stronger:
- Directed daily operations to optimize efficiency.
- Recruited, hired, and trained a high-performing team.
- Weak:
- Focus on Results & Metrics When Possible | Quantify achievements to add weight and credibility. Numbers provide context and measurable proof of success.
- Before: Improved sales processes for better efficiency.
- After: Increased conversion rates by 20% using optimized sales processes.
- Adjust Weight Based on Job Level | Align sentence weight with the target role’s expectations.
- Entry-Level: Focus on skills, contributions, and learning outcomes.
- Mid-Level: Highlight impact, leadership, and cross-functional work.
- Executive-Level: Emphasize strategic vision, bottom-line results, and influence.
- Placement Determines Weight | Sentences at the beginning and end of a paragraph typically carry the most weight. The first sentence often introduces the main idea, while the last reinforces or concludes it.
- Length & Complexity Affect Emphasis and Influence Perception | Short sentences stand out and create impact. Long, complex sentences convey depth and detail but can dilute emphasis if overused. Mixing short and long sentences creates rhythm and keeps writing engaging. Too many long or too many short sentences reduce their individual impact.
- Active vs. Passive Voice Impacts Weight | Active voice (“The manager approved the request.”) is more direct and impactful. Passive voice (“The request was approved by the manager.”) softens emphasis.
- Strong Verbs & Precise Language Matter | Powerful, vivid verbs add weight (“She bolted out of the room” vs. “She left the room quickly”). Eliminating weak words (e.g., “very,” “really”) makes sentences more forceful.
- Contrast & Conjunctions Shift Weight | Words like “however,” “but,” and “although” create shifts in emphasis. Contrasts highlight key points by setting them against opposing ideas. Résumé writers often use punctuation (especially the semi-colon) to achieve this same shifting effect.
- Lists & Enumeration Organize Weight | Bulleted or numbered lists give each point equal weight. Sequential lists (first, second, third) create a logical progression of importance.
Because sentence weight concepts are reader-based, they are in play whether you realize it or not. Like the human body, the dynamics of weight gain or weight loss are a function of balance, discipline, and awareness of excess. Decisions about what you write and don’t write impact the reader and your clients as well. They won’t tell you to lose or gain weight, but they’ll notice after you’ve done the work.
PRO TIP: Try using this prompt with your favorite AI platform: “Analyze the attached résumé and make specific recommendations to improve sentence weight.” Regardless of whether you are a beginner or an advanced writer, using that prompt a few times — and applying the useful recommendations — will help you learn to incorporate sentence-weight concepts into your own work. Even small changes can lead to big results!
Mirrors Don’t Lie: Business Exceptionalism is Rare but Pursuable
It surprises nobody more than me that I am a staunch yoga enthusiast. About 10 years ago I signed up for a series of classes with my daughter, and my opinion of yoga was a lukewarm, “Well, it’s something for us to do together.” While she walked away from the experiment with a middling impression of yoga, I was hooked.
Over the years, I graduated from the entry-level classes to more complex classes with interesting movements. And I’ve done everything in between — from Don Draper-esque zen classes to routines that would leave an NFL star drenched in sweat. Across all these diverse experiences, I’ve always been fascinated by the core concept of how different movements can be executed to create new positions and experiences.
In the past decade, I’ve gotten to a spot where I’m pretty good (ask me and I’ll tell ya). I sometimes look around at other participants in class, and I’ll notice that people aren’t following the proper forms. I don’t say anything, but my nature is that of a judgy bitch (as my daughter suggests) so I take notice. I then bravely undermine the entire ethos of a yoga practice and think, “Huh, I bet I do that a lot better, but I guess I’ve been doing it longer.”
I recently arrived late to a medium-level class, which got me placed in a corner of the room nearest the wall of mirrors. I started following along with the poses, and as I took my usual survey of the room, I noticed that this person wasn’t holding their arms straight, that person wasn’t supporting their weight the right way, etc.
Finally, as we were executing a pose that required me to be rigid and staunch, I glanced in the mirror. And I was horrified that, instead of the tense and resolute image of myself I had in my mind’s eye, I saw a starfish staring back at me. Loose, slack limbs, no tension in the body to speak of.
As it turned out, the image of myself I had in my head was starkly different from the reality of the mirror. I continued the class with a bit more grace for the other people in the room as well as myself, but even so, I noticed that as the class continued on, I got sloppier and more tired — more like a starfish, if you will.
I think this discrepancy between how we perceive ourselves and how we actually perform can also be observed in business management. Many times I have used this column as a platform to encourage readers to carefully examine how they manage and practice. That thought occurred to me as I saw my own failings in yoga, and I realized that while we often tell ourselves narratives of how we’re better than our competitors for X reason or another, the truth is more often that we each do some things well and other things perhaps not quite so well as we imagine.
When we experience success, it’s easy to say that it’s because we’re outperforming others in key areas. Conversely, when someone in our peer group isn’t doing well, we’re quick to attribute their circumstances to personal failings or a lack of ability on their part.
The truth, though, is that every person and business does some things right, and it gets others wrong. Instead of staring in the mirror or looking down on people with less-than-perfect yoga forms, the best thing that I can do to continue improving is look at the flaws I see in others and start identifying if maybe those are flaws that I exhibit sometimes as well.
If you want to put this mindset into practice, pick two to five KPIs and behaviors that you think your business does exceptionally well — areas in which you believe you exceed your peers. Then take your list and do some research within your peer group. This could mean looking at ads or websites or sales proposals, or it could mean an apples-to-apples comparison of products or services. Compare both your own materials and those of your competitors against what you perceive to be best practices, and see how each of you stack up.
If you’re like me and you’re certain that you’re already exceptional, you might be surprised to see that your competitors are either matching or exceeding in you in some areas, possibly even most of them. There will be some areas where you shine and others where you don’t, but in business, the key is consistency. If you can identify areas to improve and make those changes stick, you’ll have a much stronger case to keep your customers coming back to you instead of your competitors.
Revisiting my poses, it doesn’t take much to adjust yourself and get back into proper form. But the only way to do that is to take a look in the mirror and identify where you actually are rather than trusting the faulty perception that you have of yourself.
Talent Development: Mindset and Skillset
“Never go to bed the same as you woke up”
Jim Rohn made this challenge back in the mid 1990’s. Thirty years later, in today’s utterly unprecedented society, especially within the professional and workplace landscape, continuous (daily) talent development is no longer just a competitive strategy – it’s a survival one.
Kaizen (“good change” or “continuous improvement” in Japanese) represents my personal notion of never going to bed the same as you woke up. Learn something new today and find a way to use it tomorrow. This ensures that job seekers and coaches remain genuinely relevant and valuable in the face of virtually non-stop technological advancements and societal/political transformations. It’s rare when a week or two passes without some new resume-reading technology or ChatGPT interviewing robot isn’t being introduced throughout the hiring/employment space. And from a purely objective hiring standpoint, with all the upheaval concerning DEI hiring practices, how do job seekers and coaches address and navigate diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices federally and state-wise? Like many other transformational issues, this requires daily updates.
Beating the cheaters
Janet Elias, writing for CNBC in Sunday’s March 9thedition, featured a headline entitled, “Meet the 21-year-old helping coders use AI to cheat in Google and other tech job interviews .” She writes, “As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, employers are trying to build workarounds to prevent candidates from cheating in virtual job interviews but are struggling to keep up. Columbia University student Chungin “Roy” Lee said he used AI to game a popular virtual interview platform used by tech companies and later received several internship offers. And Google is among companies considering moving away from virtual interviews as AI becomes more popular among candidates as a way to cheat the process” (https://rb.gy/7mpewo).
No, I’m certainly not advocating teaching or mastering the skill of cheating. Quite the contrary. It’s only when we are aware that other job candidates are using technology to cheat in virtual job interviews, that we can provide effective strategies and counter measures to position our job seekers to win out ethically over the cheaters. This is the importance of committing to daily talent development. In my case, I wasn’t aware of this interview-cheating scheme until a few days ago when I read about it online. When job seekers and coaches commit to daily talent development, the odds of rapid success turn dramatically in their favor.
Talent development: 1) mindset and 2) skillset
The power of teaching the skills of maintaining a positive mindset is best illustrated by a recent PARWCC Certified Interview Coach (CIC) who told me, “Now, when my clients go into job interviews, they don’t hope to win a job offer – they expect to win it! Yes, they must demonstrate they have the skills and qualifications to produce results, but like a well-trained Olympic athlete, it all begins with a positive, winning mindset.”
- Talent Development: Mindset
Most job seekers and coaches spend the majority of time focused on skill identification and stories behind those skills (STAR/quantifiable results/specific accomplishments, etc.). Hard and soft skills. Hard skills are those specific, proven areas of expertise and knowledge that can be learned, applied, and measured. Soft skills are those personal attributes that describe how one works and gets along with others; often referred to as ‘people skills.’ This would include more general skill-types such as communications, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, adaptability, time management, and interpersonal skills.
A skill that is NOT taught by most practitioners and AI/Chat is the competency of managing one’s attitude and mindset while in pursuit of something worthwhile (like a new job), especially when adversity shows up. When an interviewer promises to call a job seeker back and doesn’t, how do they grin and bear it? When a job seeker is the runner-up for a job three times in a row, how do they suck it up? When John sends out 250 resumes and doesn’t get a single reply, how does he make the best of a bad situation and turn lemons into lemonade? Make no mistake about it, managing one’s mindset is a skill – and a skill that can be taught. It’s a powerful skill for building self-confidence and empowering success.
Henry Ford said that if you think you can, or you think you can’t… that becomes your reality – the foundation for your future. What good is a masterpiece resume in the hands of a fearful and low-confidence job seeker? Below are four concepts job seekers and coaches can make (or improve) regarding attitude (mindset), self-confidence, and inspiring full engagement:
- Embrace AI as a Collaborative Career Asset Spearheaded by the Human Element
-
- Rather than viewing AI as a threat, career coaches must encourage job seekers to see AI as a collaborative tool that when integrated with the “human element,” results in rapid success.
- AI/Chat technologies are NOT capable of helping to build courage, confidence, and an unstoppable, resilient character. Only humans can inspire this. AI/Chat will be used for general activities such as resume drafts, initial target marketing, and preliminary interviewing prep. But every job seeker (and coach) has their own special qualities, value, personality and, yes, issues. This means that when technology performs all the mundane activities humans used to do, humans can now then invest more quality time on the human-aspect of winning job offers. Mindset.
- Teach Empowerment Techniques to Optimize Success (Self-Confidence)
- In PARWCC’s Certified Empowerment and Motivational Professional (CEMP), career coaches learn that the words we use, the questions we ask, and the things we focus on optimize or sabotage a job campaign. Fear, overwhelm, and doubt can be replaced with courage, engagement, and confidence – and only humans can teach this.
- Are job seekers focusing on their current predicament (the problem) or on the success they desire (the solution)? Are career coaches still asking job seekers to do homework, or are they given rapid employment exercises to complete? Words and phrases matter because they empower success.
- Develop a Human + AI Collaborative Job Campaign Strategy (Full Engagement)
- Job seekers must focus on specific results they can Deliver, Generate, or Produce (DGP) for their paychecks – with supporting evidence. AI can generate typical, used-by-everyone else content, but only humans can bring the emotional intelligence, creativity, and uniqueness to the process.
- Success coaches inspire job seekers to recognize and honor their value, past achievements, and future contributional potential. Most job seekers fail to recognize, specifically, what they deliver, generate, or produce for their paychecks. This new awareness is an empowerment strategy because it results in indisputable self-confidence.
Encourage AI-Powered Continuous Learning (Upskilling)
-
- I call it the 20-minute a day upskilling challenge. AI/Chat technologies are changing industries, the workplace, and society so rapidly, coaches and job seekers must stay up-to-date and adaptable to all the changes… and there’s a phrase for it: “continuously upskilling.”
- Coaches must inspire and empower clients using specific techniques. Being just a motivational pro doesn’t work, because motivation is short-lived. But when we teach empowerment techniques and the skill of managing one’s mindset, that is something technology will never do as well as humans.
- Talent Development: Skillsets that Produce Results
Simplicity is an empowerment and engagement skill. And I believe we need to simplify the AI/Chat skillset so career coaches and job seekers understand, embrace, and optimize them. Below are four bullet points that can help simplify the AI skills conundrum.
- Incorporating AI for Resume Optimization
- Use AI tools, along with your own creative strategies, to enhance resume formatting, keyword optimization, value proposition communications, and ATS (Applicant Tracking System) compliance.
- Train job seekers on how to use AI-powered resources (like Chat) for drafting cover letters and online digital footprints.
- Teaching AI-Assisted Job Campaign Strategies
- Help job seekers leverage AI to identify job opportunities, tailor applications, and generate impact-making cover letters.
- Guide them in using AI for networking, such as drafting LinkedIn outreach messages and interview follow-ups.
- Shifting to AI-Augmented Interview Preparation
- Use AI to simulate interview scenarios, generate practice questions, and analyze responses. PARWCC’s CIC (Certified Interview Coach) outlines powerful methods for optimizing BOTH verbal and nonverbal communications for influencing job offers.
- Collaborate with AI to teach job seekers how to out-compete their competition in interviews with compelling discussions (using PARWCC’s OMC method taught in CIC) that come across as natural and personalized.
- Ethical and Strategic AI Guidance
- Educate job seekers on the ethical use of AI in applications, ensuring transparency and authenticity.
- Teach them how to fact-check AI-generated content and personalize it to avoid generic (or patented) responses.
Conclusion
The commitment to never going to bed the same as you woke up is a powerful strategy for optimizing work performance and securing long-term career success. In an era where AI/Chat technologies are reshaping industries, continuous skill development is essential for staying relevant and competitive.
By embracing a mindset of lifelong learning, cultivating adaptability, and leveraging AI/Chat as a collaborative tool back by the human element, career coaches, resume writers, and job seekers can not only excel in the present workplace – but also future-proof their careers. Success in the modern workforce belongs to those who are willing to learn, evolve, and embrace change – every day.
Navigating the 2025 Job Market
As we move through March 2025, the U.S. job market continues to evolve amid economic shifts, federal workforce reductions, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence in various industries. Understanding these trends is crucial for job seekers looking to navigate the competitive employment landscape effectively.
Job Market Overview
According to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the economy added 151,000 jobs in February 2025, slightly below the 12-month average of 168,000. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.1%, reflecting a mild slowdown in hiring. However, key industries such as healthcare, financial activities, transportation, and social assistance showed continued job growth. While this is a positive sign, it also highlights the uneven nature of employment trends—some industries are thriving, while others, such as leisure and hospitality, continue to experience challenges.
Federal Workforce Reductions
Recent government actions have led to significant layoffs across federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Internal Revenue Service, affecting thousands of employees. While the administration has framed these reductions as part of broader cost-cutting measures, the ripple effects extend beyond the federal workforce. Many laid-off employees now face the challenge of transitioning into private-sector roles, often requiring reskilling or relocation. Additionally, the decrease in IRS personnel may contribute to slower tax return processing, adding an extra layer of frustration for taxpayers.
AI’s Impact on Hiring Trends
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping job market demands. A recent Wall Street Journal report states that nearly 25% of tech job postings now require AI skills, with the information sector leading at 36%. This rapid shift highlights an urgent need for professionals across various industries to develop AI literacy. Employers are no longer just hiring AI specialists—many traditional roles, from marketing to supply chain management, now incorporate AI-driven tools. Those who proactively learn to work alongside AI, rather than fear its integration, will have a distinct advantage in the job market.
Economic Uncertainty and Market Volatility
The broader economy is experiencing uneven growth, influenced by recent tariff policies, inflation concerns, and federal spending shifts. Market volatility has been notable, with stock market fluctuations impacting business confidence and hiring patterns. Businesses in sectors such as manufacturing and trade are feeling the strain, adjusting hiring plans accordingly. For job seekers, this means that while job opportunities still exist, they may require greater flexibility in terms of industry, location, or compensation expectations. The importance of staying agile and informed has never been more critical.
Job Search Strategies for 2025
Given these market trends, job seekers should take proactive steps to strengthen their career prospects. Here are some key strategies:
- Upskill in High-Demand Areas
- AI, data analytics, and digital transformation skills are increasingly sought after.
- Consider enrolling in online courses, certifications, or bootcamps to stay competitive.
- Even a basic understanding of AI tools like ChatGPT, machine learning applications, or automation platforms can give candidates a competitive edge.
- Diversify Your Job Search
- Look beyond traditional job boards to explore networking opportunities, industry-specific sites, and LinkedIn connections.
- Consider contract and freelance roles, which may lead to full-time opportunities.
- Reach out to professionals in your target field and seek informational interviews to gain insider knowledge.
- Adapt to Changing Work Trends
- With automation transforming roles, emphasize soft skills such as adaptability, communication, and problem-solving.
- Highlight your ability to work with emerging technologies in your résumé and interviews.
- Show employers how your skills contribute to innovation and efficiency within their organization.
- Stay Informed on Industry Trends
- Follow industry news and economic updates to identify growth sectors.
- Attend webinars, conferences, and local networking events to build industry connections.
- Subscribe to relevant industry newsletters and LinkedIn groups to stay ahead of emerging trends.
Final Thoughts
While the job market remains dynamic and somewhat unpredictable, staying informed and adaptable is key to career success in 2025. By upskilling, leveraging networking opportunities, and staying ahead of market trends, job seekers can position themselves for success in a competitive hiring landscape. Resilience and strategic career planning will separate those who thrive from those who struggle in this evolving economy.
Leveraging Skills for Career Management
Skills for employees range from technical skills for a specific discipline like engineering, accounting, software development, law, international affairs, law enforcement, medicine, education/teaching, mechanics, plumbing, technology/cybersecurity, or nursing; leadership skills, include team building, negotiating, navigating constantly evolving work environments, driving results, resolving conflict, public speaking, and leading change; management skills, include project, program, or organizational management, budgeting, scheduling, time management, or training; soft skills include communications, emotional intelligence, dependability, problem-solving, adaptability; transferable skills – those skills that are adaptable to other disciplines or industries; and many more.
As a career coach, I help my clients identify skill gaps and enhance skill strengths. We focus on the positive and accentuate transferable skills for new positions, promotional opportunities, target jobs, and jobs of passion.
For example, when conducting a skills assessment with my clients, I ask them to identify skills they possess that are natural or that they have mastered (these skills come easy); skills they possess that are nearly mastered and they delight in using these skills; skills they excel at that they no longer wish to use (this category may cause extreme burnout); and skills they want to possess that may require education, training, or development.
I then coach my clients on how to use/leverage skill sets. I ask my clients to identify their top five hard (specific disciplines) and soft skill sets. Very often, my clients cannot differentiate between hard and soft skill sets, and they provide a list of soft behavioral skills, e.g., hardworking, disciplined, detail-oriented, excellent communicator, successful, and dependable.
In these cases, I coach my clients to define their hard/technical skill sets (e.g., writing, electrical, analyst, accounting, policy, environmental, and language skills) and learn to leverage them in written career management documents like the résumé and LinkedIn profile and the interview process – tied to measurable results.
Below is a breakdown of the skill levels and how best to manage coaching sessions:
- Skills a client possesses that are natural or have been mastered and enjoy using often make a job easy for them. These skills can be refined and enhanced. These skill sets make clients feel like they are “not working.”
- Coach Tips: This client will benefit from career coaching to further build their skill set by exploring additional education or credentialing opportunities. We may explore opportunities for advancement or opportunities at other companies that may allow the client to gain more challenges using the skill sets. Brainstorming may include shifting from work at a small company to a larger Fortune 500 company; moving from a small hospital in a small city or rural setting to a larger hospital in a big city or inner city; or moving to a new state or location. We will also brainstorm salary and benefits and analyze new positions with more significant income.
- Skills a client possesses that are nearly mastered and that they delight in using may need coaching to develop fully the skill set(s). By coaching these clients to master skill sets they enjoy using, they may become industry or discipline experts.
- Coach Tips: This client may need additional education or training. We may explore university programs, advanced degrees, or certification or licensure programs. They may also find value in identifying a specific mentor. Brainstorming may include becoming published, speaking at large conferences/symposia/consortiums, and seeking new employment with more challenges and a potential mentor or reimbursement for advanced degrees. This client usually seeks new professional development positions and greater income levels.
- Skills a client thinks they want to possess but does not have any education may require training and development by obtaining schooling or training.
- Coach Tips: This client may need to explore the desired skill sets by engaging in informational interviews, shadowing an expert on the job, joining an association, or attending conferences to learn about the skill set. For example, suppose a young adult client states they want to be a nurse. In that case, when allowed to observe classes, visit patients in a hospital setting, or view videos of medical and surgical procedures, they decide they cannot handle the sight of blood or the smells of the hospital setting and may change their mind. Shadowing a nurse or surgeon as an observer for a day may help them determine if they genuinely want to pursue that career path.
- The Food Safety and Inspection Service uses virtual reality goggles at some of its job fairs so potential job seekers can view a meat processing/slaughter operation. Even so, many new employees quit after being on the job, as the sight of the plant from a virtual reality vantage differs from the live smells and blood involved in the live plant environment.
- Skills that a client excels at but no longer wishes to use require a complete coaching program to identify the skills of strength, why they no longer choose to use the skills, and how the skill/skills can be used as a transferable skill set. A client in this situation may be on the verge of burnout and hate his job and work environment. He may be working overtime because he is relied upon as an expert in his discipline/skill set.
- Coach Tips: Coaching a client on the verge of burnout is challenging. The client may be discouraged and confused about the next steps in the career trajectory. The client’s salary may be very satisfying, which keeps the client in the role despite the extreme burnout and fatigue. In this case, I ask my client many questions to determine the source of the burnout. We explore how his skill sets may be transferable to other roles, industries, or disciplines. We may prepare a budget to determine if the client can take a lesser salary to return to school to obtain new skill sets or take a lesser salary for a better-fit position, e.g., moving into a non-supervisory role.
- Most of my clients have transferable skill sets. I coach them to break down their skill sets, and we analyze potential new industries or disciplines.
- Coach Tips: For example, one of my clients worked in animal behavior, focusing on research with primates. She received degrees in animal behavior, zoology, and biology. During her career, she wrote scores of different types of documents. She decided to pursue a career in medical writing. To solidify her decision, she obtained a certificate in medical writing. We leveraged the writing part of her skill set on her résumé and LinkedIn profile and removed much of her direct descriptions of her work with primates.
As a career coach working with clients, I learn about their skill sets, why they like them, and how they want to use them. This process is critical in coaching them to land satisfying jobs that pay what they seek.
If you desire to strengthen your career coaching skills, the Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) program delivers detailed descriptions of skill set development with clients and teaches you how to ask questions to move your clients forward. The CPCC also coaches you as you learn to become a career coach.
Beyond the Breakout Session: How to Turn Learning into Business Growth
If you’ve been in business for more than five minutes, you already know—what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow.
Whether it’s evolving client expectations, shifting economic trends, or the ever-changing nature of hiring, staying sharp isn’t optional in our field; it’s essential.
We all live in a world of professional development, so when we think of skill development, our minds automatically go to knowledge gain, technology adoption, or a certification that will give us a new credential. However, skill building for career coaches and resume writers is a different animal than for our clients.
For us, growing our skillset is a business asset that keeps our expertise relevant, business competitive, and opportunities growing.
It’s easy to de-prioritize your development when you’re running a business (let alone one focused on upskilling other people!)., but the best business owners and coaches don’t just work in their businesses; they work on their skills.
So, as we head into THRIVE—where the learning opportunities are stacked, and yours truly will be there, ready to give you a hug! —it’s the perfect time to talk about how investing in your skills is one of the smartest moves you can make for your business and career.
Skills Require Maintenance
It’s tempting to think of expertise as a milestone—something you achieve once and simply have. But skills need maintenance. They evolve. They require refinement
Take marketing, lead generation, and sales—one of the topics I’ll be covering during my half-day bootcamp at THRIVE (#shamelessplug). The strategies that worked five years ago (or even last year!) might not be as effective today because buyer behaviors shift, platforms change, and little things like AI come into our worlds.
You could be missing major opportunities if you’re still using outdated tactics.
The same goes for salary negotiation—another topic I’ll be teaching at Thrive (see what I’m doing here? 😉). The economy is in flux; it’s a heavily employer-favored market, and companies are adjusting compensation structures. Knowing how to negotiate isn’t enough—you have to understand how to assess an offer based on current market trends.
The best professionals—whether they’re career coaches, stylists, or drywall installers—don’t just learn once and call it a day. They stay engaged, adapt, and refine their expertise to match the current climate and newly available resources.
If you want to stay ahead, ask yourself: What’s changed in my industry? Where do I need to refresh my skills?
Learning is Only the First Step
Have you ever walked out of a conference session pumped up with new insights… only to get home and promptly forget to implement any of them?
We’ve all been there.
The problem isn’t the lack of information—it’s the lack of application.
Whether you’re learning about salary negotiations, marketing, or economic insights (which I’ll also be covering at THRIVE – like how I snuck the trifecta in here!?), the key isn’t just hearing the information, it’s integrating it into your work.
Here’s how to bridge the gap between learning and doing:
Pick Three Takeaways – After any learning session, whether it’s one class in a certification series or a session at a conference, identify three actions you can apply immediately. Do them.
Set a Timeline. Decide when you’ll implement each takeaway so it doesn’t get overlooked.
Teach It to Someone Else – The best way to retain information? Share it! Whether it’s clients, colleagues, or a LinkedIn post, passing along what you’ve learned helps solidify it in your mind.
Staying Competitive
Skill development isn’t just about personal growth. It’s a business strategy. When you’re consistently refining and adding to your expertise, you:
✔ Differentiate yourself in a crowded market.
✔ Deliver better results for your clients.
✔ Stay ahead of industry changes instead of scrambling to catch up.
And here’s the kicker: your competition is learning, too. If you’re not investing in your skills, someone else is, and that’s who clients will trust.
So, the smartest investment you can make in your business is YOU, whether it’s attending THRIVE, joining a mastermind, or blocking time for self-education.
Just like any professional, your business (and career) will evolve. The question is: will your skills evolve with it?
If you’re looking for a way to stay sharp, keep growing, and make sure your expertise remains relevant, the opportunities are there—you just have to take them.
What’s your plan for professional growth this year?
Your Friend and Coach,
Angie Callen, CPRW, CPCC
PS: Hope to see you at THRIVE!
News from PARWCC!
| View in browser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
News from PARWCC!
| View in browser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
News from PARWCC!
| View in browser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
