Why, Despite Having More Tools, Job Search Is More Difficult for Candidates Today Than It Was 15 Years Ago?

September 4, 2025 | CareerAngels | Our Updates
Frustrated professional sitting at a desk with a laptop, covering their face with hands. Text on the image says: "The job market has become 10 times more demanding. How can you navigate it? Interview for Career Angels 15th anniversary.

Why, Despite Having More Tools, Job Search Is More Difficult for Candidates Today Than It Was 15 Years Ago?

Fifteen years ago, the job market looked completely different. Candidates believed that having a well-written CV and contacting a headhunter were enough to find their next job. Companies didn’t consider retraining their employees because it was easier to hire someone new. Hardly anyone talked about career management.

Today, we live in a different reality. We have more tools, more data, and more technology than ever before, yet it is more difficult for candidates. Recruitment processes are more complex, and employers continue to struggle with talent shortages. Candidates, on the other hand, often feel lost and overwhelmed.

Sandra Bichl, founder of Career Angels, talks about changes, challenges, successes, and why being “angelic” sometimes means tough love.

How Do You Assess The Changes In The Job Market Over The Past 15 Years? What Surprised You The Most?

When we started, candidates had to make a certain effort – let’s call it “X” – to find a job. It seemed that with time, thanks to technology, it would become easier. That the market would become more transparent, and the employee-employer relationship more collaborative.

Today, 15 years later, we know that technology has complicated matters rather than simplified them. Recruitment processes have become longer and the requirements for candidates have increased. Employers still know little about candidates, which has only deepened the mismatch between the expectations of one side and the actions of the other.

A candidate who had to make an effort of X 15 years ago, now has to make an effort 5-10 times greater, depending on the country, industry or position, to achieve a similar result. That’s a huge difference. And frankly, it’s terrifying.

How Have The Needs Of Individual Clients Changed?

Fifteen years ago, the career consulting market was practically non-existent. Candidates assumed that headhunters would take care of their careers, advise them on choosing job offers, and guide them through the process. That was a mistake. They did not understand that headhunters always act on behalf of employers, because it is the employers who pay their fees.

Today, awareness is greater. More and more people have their own budget for professional development. Some immediately decide to seek expert support, saving themselves frustration and time. Others try on their own for several months, and when they see no results, they come to us with a smaller budget, greater pressure and more stress.

It’s a bit like repairing a window. You can either try to do it yourself, spending hours on YouTube and forums, or call in a professional who will do it quickly and well. It’s the same with your career.

And What About Business Clients?

Here, the change is really noticeable. Companies used to operate in a simple way: if we don’t need employees, we dismiss them.

Today, we are increasingly seeing a more mature approach. A good example is the Polish branch of one of the largest banks in the world. They noticed that employees were leaving not because of a lack of potential, but because of a lack of support for their development.

That is why they hired Career Angels to design a two-month program for 30 HR specialists, equipping them with consulting tools and career conversation skills.

The program laid the foundations for an internal Career Center and helped the bank retain talent by offering real support for development and internal mobility.

Since 2018, You Have Also Been Training Career Consultants. What Led You In That Direction?

It started with academic cooperation: first, we created a course, then postgraduate studies. At some point, we realized that if we wanted our industry to grow in strength and professionalism, we had to start educating future, and sometimes potentially competitive, career consultants.

The profession of career consultant is still unregulated. The quality of services on the market varies greatly. That is why we decided to raise the bar and introduce standards that serve the entire industry. It is an investment in the future, because the better the quality of consulting available on the market, the greater the trust of clients and employers in the very idea of career management.

How Have External Crises, Such As The COVID Pandemic Or Economic Uncertainty, Affected Your Work?

Such moments always have a strong impact on the job market. COVID is a separate chapter. Individual customers often froze their budgets and were more cautious in their spending. Companies postponed projects and waited for the situation to become clearer. On the one hand, this is natural, because people were thinking about safety; on the other hand, it showed how important flexibility and rapid adaptation of services are.

“Crises reveal who can adapt and which strategies truly work.”

What Were The Toughest Challenges?

Working with people means working with human nature, which is changeable and unpredictable:

  • We had clients who overslept for an interview at 2 PM. One was the Chief Sales Officer at a large company, the other was applying for a Finance Manager position at a medium-sized company. Two completely different people, same problem.
  • We had a client for whom we generated over 20 interviews in six weeks. But they decided that “it wasn’t enough” and threatened us with legal action.
  • Ghosting also happens. Someone pays several thousand for a service… and then disappears.

That is why good contracts and cooperation agreements are so important. At the outset, we ask our clients directly, “What should we do if you disappear?”. We establish channels and frequency of communication, rules of cooperation and delivery of materials. We teach our clients that this is a project which both parties are responsible for.

Has Career Angels Managed To Completely Transform Clients’ Professional Lives?

The question should not be “if” but “how many times”. There were hundreds of such stories:

There were also dramatic stories, such as a client who said, “If nothing changes in three months, I’ll go bankrupt”. We helped them bounce back and avoid selling their house.

Stories like these are at the heart of our work. They show that the right strategy can change lives.

What Does “Being Angelic” Mean In Your Approach?

It’s empathy, but also tough love. If a client is harming themselves, we tell them so directly.

It is also important to spot so-called self-handicapping: situations in which someone appears to be acting, but in practice is blocking their own goal. Our role is to notice this and react.

And always, regardless of whether we work with individual or business clients, we base our recommendations on data and trends, not on what worked 20 years ago. We track the responses of over 26,000 headhunters and decision-makers, analyze job market indicators in 80 countries, and monitor changes to the LinkedIn algorithm – all based on over 40 years of research into career management.

How Have Technology And AI Changed Your Work?

Technology has completely changed the market. It used to be enough to have a reasonably well-filled LinkedIn profile. Today, it’s advanced optimization: privacy settings, keywords, skills, algorithms. It’s not 5 minutes, but often 2-3 hours of work.

That is why we have expanded our services to include elements that were not previously available, such as profile optimization for algorithms and adapting CVs to the requirements of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), i.e. programs that support recruitment process management and, in some cases, initial application selection.

We teach our clients how to use AI, but we also follow our own advice. We test the tools ourselves first, and only then do we recommend them to our clients.

How Do You Build The Career Angels Team, And What Kind Of Organizational Culture Do You Aim To Nurture?

The team is the heart of Career Angels. We are looking for people who combine empathy with an analytical approach and a willingness to learn continuously. This is not a job for someone who wants to repeat the same patterns. The market is changing, so we must change, too.

Our organizational culture is based on the same pillars that we apply to our clients. For me, maintaining quality is more important than expansion “at any cost”. That is why I never wanted Career Angels to become a “corporate McDonald’s”. I prefer a smaller scale, but with full consistency in values and approach.

“I prefer a smaller scale, but with complete consistency in values and approach. Quality always trumps quantity”.

What Advice Would You Give To A Candidate Starting A Job Search?

Prepare yourself. Understand how the market works. Develop a plan and implement it methodically. Treat the process like a project: set a goal, prepare a strategy and implement it consistently. Stay calm and keep a cool head, because luck really does favor those who are prepared. Importantly, preparation today is not just about having a good CV. You need to know that 60-70% of job advertisements for executives go through ATS, and many offers are only available on the hidden market. Therefore:

And What Advice Would You Give To Companies?

Understand that every employee is different. Some want to be promoted every two years, others seek stability. Still others need projects, incentives, and changes every six months.

The key is to create a culture that responds to different needs and can utilize different personality types. At Career Angels, we often say that many people operate in “career autopilot” mode. Decision Dynamics research confirms this: as many as 64% of professionals pursue careers that do not match their deepest motivations. The Career ViewTM model distinguishes four orientations:

  • Expert: building a career based on specialization,
  • Linear: climbing the career ladder,
  • Spiral: cyclical changes and expanding competences,
  • Transitory: frequent and diverse experiences.

This shows that staying with one company for a long time or changing jobs frequently is neither “good” nor “bad” – it is a natural expression of different career orientations. Organizations that understand this find it easier to retain talent and build a culture that supports diverse needs.

What Are Your Plans For Career Angels In The Coming Years?

We want to do what we do, only better and on a slightly larger scale. It has never been about expansion for expansion’s sake. Quality and an individual approach are key.

I also see a great need for employer education. Candidates have become more aware, but employers often still do not understand how the job market really works. This is another area where we want to play a greater role.

What Final Thoughts Would You Like To Leave Our Readers With?

Fifteen years of experience have demonstrated one thing: today’s job market demands more from everyone: candidates, employers, and advisors. Career Angels remains true to its mission, combining empathy, tough love, and a data-driven approach.

If you would like to find out how Career Angels can support you or your organization in career management, please contact us by filling out this form or sending an email to Contact@CareerAngels.eu.