ILENE REIN | Executive Recruiter & Job Search Strategist | Pounding Pavement 101

The average job search right now takes about five months. Some people search for much longer.

I spoke with someone last week who has been looking for two years. Two years. That's not a typo.

If you've been at it for a while and wondering what's going on, the answer might surprise you.

It's not you. It's the market. And it's probably the strategy you're using.

The Numbers Are Tough Right Now

2025 was one of the toughest years for job seekers in recent memory. Nearly 246,000 tech workers were laid off. Unemployment hit 4.6%, the highest in four years. The average time to hire stretched to 44 days. Entry-level positions dropped by 29%.

Experts are calling this a "low-hire, low-fire" market. Companies aren't firing as many people as they did during the pandemic. But they're also not hiring the way they used to. Everything has slowed down.

And for job seekers, that means months of waiting. Months of applying. Months of hearing nothing back.

If that sounds familiar, please know you're not alone. And there's a reason it's happening.

Why It's Taking So Long

Here's what most job seekers don't realize. The way people used to find jobs doesn't work the same way anymore.

The rules changed. The technology changed. The way Recruiters search for candidates has changed. But most job seekers are still doing what they did five or ten years ago.

Just yesterday, I saw a resume that looked like it was from the 1980s (yes, the 1980s!). And it wasn't from someone who had been in the workforce for decades. It was from an early career professional who was obviously taking advice from a parent.

That advice might have worked 30 years ago. It doesn't work now.

This isn't anyone's fault. Nobody teaches this stuff. Not in school. Not in career centers. Most of the advice floating around online is outdated or generic. Job seekers are doing the best they can with the information they have.

But when your resume, your LinkedIn, and your job search approach are based on how things used to work, you end up invisible to the people trying to hire you. Not because you're unqualified. Because the process has changed and nobody showed you how to navigate the new job search jungle.

Why I Do This Work

I've worked on both sides of the hiring desk. As a job seeker and as a Recruiter. Now, as a Job Search Strategist, I use what I learned from both experiences to help people get hired faster.

Here's why I do this work.

When I was a Recruiter, I saw so many talented people get passed over. Not because they weren't qualified. Because they didn't know how to showcase their experience and what they can offer. They were qualified. But, they didn't understand what Recruiters were looking for or how the process actually worked.

It wasn't their fault. Nobody ever taught them. And it broke my heart to watch great candidates get overlooked while I knew exactly what they needed to fix.

That's why I created Pounding Pavement 101. I wanted to share what I know so job seekers can finally understand how to get noticed. And I believe everyone deserves access to that knowledge.

Why Companies Are Taking So Long to Hire

It's not just job seekers who are struggling. Companies are moving slower than ever.

The average time from application to hire has stretched to 44 days. Some roles take much longer. I have seen even 3 months from application to job offer. Multiple rounds of interviews have become standard. And hiring managers are being extremely cautious about every decision.

Here's what's happening on their end.

There are so many candidates on the market right now that companies have more choices than ever. They're not rushing to fill roles. They're taking their time to find exactly the right person.

And they're being careful about making the wrong choice.

A bad hire is expensive. Someone comes on board, doesn't work out, and leaves three months later. Now the company has to start all over again. They've invested time, money, and energy. They may have disrupted their team dynamics.

So companies are adding more interview rounds. More assessments. More people are involved in the decision. They want to feel confident that whoever they hire will fit the team, do the job well, and stick around.

What does this mean for the job seeker?

It means every interaction matters. Every interview. Every email. Every conversation. Companies are evaluating you at every step, looking for signals that you're the right fit.

If you don't know how to stand out at each stage of this longer process, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Understanding what companies are looking for can make all the difference.

Recruiters Are Doing Their Best With a Flood of Applications

I want to say something in defense of corporate Recruiters. They are working as hard as they possibly can. But they're dealing with an overwhelming volume of applications.

The "easy apply" button made it simple for anyone to apply to anything. And that's exactly what's happening. Many people are applying to jobs that aren't a good fit for their background.

Entry-level candidates applying for Vice President roles. People with hospitality backgrounds applying for engineering positions that require an engineering degree. Job seekers clicking apply on everything, hoping something sticks.

I understand the impulse. When you're desperate for a job, you want to cast a wide net. But this creates a challenge for everyone.

Recruiters now have to filter through hundreds of applications to find the people who actually fit the role. It slows everything down. And when Recruiters are overwhelmed, they have to move even faster through the pile. They spend less time on each resume. They make quicker decisions.

Which means even qualified candidates can get overlooked if their materials don't immediately show they're a fit.

The job seekers who get noticed in this environment are the ones who make the Recruiter's job easier. They apply to roles they're genuinely qualified for. Their resumes clearly show they meet the requirements. They stand out from the crowd by being targeted and strategic.

The AI Resume Problem

Let's talk about something I'm seeing constantly right now.

Job seekers are using AI to write their resumes. ChatGPT, automated resume builders, AI tools that promise to "optimize" your resume for you.

I understand why. These tools are fast and easy. And when you're overwhelmed by the job search, anything that makes it easier sounds appealing.

But here's what's happening. Recruiters and hiring managers are telling me they can spot an AI-written resume immediately. They all look the same. The same phrases. The same structure. The same generic language that sounds polished but doesn't say anything specific.

I've seen resumes from completely different career fields that look nearly identical because they were all created with the same AI tools. A marketing director and an operations manager with resumes that could be swapped and nobody would notice the difference.

Here's what I want you to understand. Your resume is a writing sample. It's an example of the type of work you would do for the company. It shows how you think, how you communicate, and how you present information.

If your resume is written by AI or generated by an automated builder, it doesn't showcase you and your work. It showcases a tool that everyone else is using too.

Your resume should be your best foot forward. It should sound like you. It should highlight what makes you valuable. When it's in someone else's words, or in the same words as everyone else, you blend in instead of standing out.

The Challenge of Doing What Everyone Else Does

When application volumes spike by 200 to 300% like they do in January, competition gets intense. Hundreds of people apply for every open role. Recruiters spend seconds on each resume before making a decision.

If your approach looks like everyone else's approach, it's hard to get noticed. And when you don't get noticed, you don't get the call.

The job seekers who stand out are the ones who understand what Recruiters are actually looking for. They know how to position themselves. They know how to get noticed. They know how to access opportunities that never get posted publicly.

These aren't things most people ever learn. And that's not their fault. This information just isn't available.

Why Some People Get Hired Fast

My last two clients landed their "dream jobs" in seven to eight weeks. Their words, not mine.

You can listen to their stories.

Yes, they were qualified for the positions. But so were a lot of other candidates. The difference is that they knew how to market themselves based on how Recruiters and companies actually operate. They became the superior candidate of choice.

That's what I taught them how to do.

They had their marketing documents set up the right way. Their resumes were built based on how Recruiters actually search. Their LinkedIn profiles attracted opportunities instead of sitting there doing nothing. They knew how to tap into the hidden job market where most jobs actually get filled. They knew what to say during interviews. They knew how to negotiate their salaries.

And many of my clients have received multiple offers.

This strategy is the difference between searching for five months and landing something in five weeks.

What Five Months Actually Costs You

Let's talk about what a five month job search really means.

If you're unemployed, that's five months of financial stress. Five months of uncertainty. Five months of wondering when things will turn around. Five months of putting life on hold while you wait for that offer.

If you're employed and looking to make a move, that's five months of staying in a situation you're ready to leave. Five months of watching opportunities pass by. Five months of feeling stuck.

Either way, it's time you don't get back. And every week that goes by without results can make it harder to stay hopeful.

I don't say this to discourage you. I say it because I want you to know there's a better way.

What To Do Next

The job market isn't going to get easier anytime soon. Experts are predicting that the first half of 2026 will look a lot like 2025. Slow hiring. Selective employers. More competition.

If you've been searching for a while and not getting the results you want, something needs to change. More applications won't fix it. More time won't fix it. A different approach will.

Job searching can be lonely and discouraging. Having someone in your corner makes a real difference.

I'd love to talk with you about what's happening in your search and what might help. Schedule a call with me and we'll figure out the best path forward for your situation. No pressure. Just a conversation to see if I can help.

You don't have to search for five months. You just need to know what actually works.

And you don't have to figure it out alone.

About Ilene Rein

Ilene Rein is on a mission to get people hired... and in record time! As an Executive Recruiter and Managing Partner at Marketing & Sales Resources, and Founder and Job Search Strategist at Pounding Pavement 101, Ilene has spent years on the inside of the hiring process, watching what actually gets candidates noticed and job offers.

After hearing countless stories of job seekers struggling for 9-12 months with endless applications and radio silence, Ilene created Pounding Pavement 101 – her Job Search Acceleration System that teaches job seekers exactly how to market themselves with laser precision using insider recruiting secrets.

The Pounding Pavement 101 program results are incredible: Ilene's clients are getting hired 6x FASTER than job searching alone – landing dream jobs in just 3-8 weeks instead of months of frustration and saving thousands of dollars of lost income! Check out the detailed statistics.

Ilene is a sought-after speaker partnering with companies, educational institutions and organizations worldwide to provide this premium job searching expert guidance.

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