How to Find a Job During the Great Resignation

By early 2022, more than 47 million Americans had voluntarily left their jobs in a single year. The labor market tilted decisively toward workers, and companies desperate to hire began offering salaries, flexibility, and benefits that would have seemed impossible two years earlier. If you are looking for a new role, you have more power than at any point in the past decade. Here is how to use it wisely.

Define What You Actually Want First

The biggest mistake job seekers make in a hot market is applying broadly without a clear picture of what they are looking for. Before sending a single application, spend time identifying your non-negotiables. Remote work? A specific compensation floor? Industry alignment with your values? Opportunities for rapid advancement? Writing these down before you search helps you evaluate offers quickly and avoid accepting a role that recreates the conditions that prompted you to leave in the first place.

Use Multiple Channels Strategically

Job boards are only one piece of the puzzle. The 2022 job market rewards candidates who combine multiple approaches.

• LinkedIn: Update your profile to signal openness and reach out directly to hiring managers
• Company career pages: Many roles are posted exclusively on employer websites before hitting boards
• Professional communities: Slack groups, Discord servers, and industry forums often share unadvertised opportunities
• Warm outreach: A message to a former colleague asking for an introduction is more effective than any cold application
• Recruiters: In a tight market, working with a specialized recruiter can surface roles you would never find alone

Negotiate Like the Market Warrants

In a candidate-driven market, your first offer is rarely the best offer. Research salary benchmarks using Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn Salary before any negotiation. When you receive an offer, express enthusiasm and then ask for 24 to 48 hours to review it. Come back with a specific counter based on data, not feeling. Most employers in 2022 expected this and built room into initial offers.

Finally, take your time. The urgency employers project is often a tactic. A role that is right for you will still be right for you after a thoughtful evaluation. Use ApplyGlide to streamline your applications so you spend more time evaluating opportunities and less time filling out forms.