Ep 132 Career: Navigating the Mess: Insights into the 2024 Job Market

Show notes

What’s going on, everybody? And welcome to the 132nd episode of The Crazy One Podcast. As always, I’m your host, Stephen Gates—and this is the show where we talk about creativity, leadership, and all the other things that matter to creative people.

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The Big Question: What’s Going On With the Market?

The second most common question I get in mentoring sessions—through ADPList and other platforms—is simple but urgent:

“Steve, what the hell is going on with the market?

Do you have any insight?

How do I find a job?

Is there a trick I’m missing?”

Let’s cut to it: No, there’s no trick. It’s just a mess.

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How We Got Here

Over the last two years, we’ve seen wave after wave of layoffs. Some of them justified, some of them just using the economy as an excuse to cut headcount. We’ve seen the so-called “immune” giants—Apple, Google, Meta—lay off thousands. A lot of companies simply didn’t know how to lead through COVID. They didn’t know how to retain people, fire people, or manage through uncertainty.

The result?

• A massive influx of talent on the market

• Insane competition

• A ton of noise

 

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What’s Really Behind the Shift

Especially for senior creatives and design leaders, one word comes up a lot: ageism.

But here’s the thing—what I’m seeing isn’t ageism. It’s what I’d call “experience-ism.”

Companies aren’t rejecting older talent because of age. They’re rejecting what experience brings:

• Confidence to say “this won’t work”

• A willingness to push back

• The ability to spot red flags and challenge broken systems

 

They don’t want that. They want someone cheaper, less experienced, and more compliant. Someone who won’t ruffle feathers.

We’re seeing a return to a creative services mentality—where design is just there to “make things pretty.” The pendulum is swinging back toward business over design.

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We Should’ve Seen This Coming

Years ago, at InVision, we did a massive study showing that most companies had low design maturity. And we warned:

If you can’t tie your work to business outcomes,

you’re going to lose funding, influence, and headcount.

There was lots of nodding in agreement—but very little action. And now, here we are.

Some of this is our own doing. We accepted inflated salaries, rode the design-thinking hype, and didn’t always deliver results.

And now, companies don’t want to pay big money for someone who’s going to challenge the status quo—especially if it didn’t deliver ROI before.

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The Reality on the Ground

Every day I talk to people whose severance has run out, savings are gone, and they’re working retail jobs just to survive.

It’s not because they’re untalented.

It’s not because they aren’t trying.

It’s because the system is flooded, the dynamics have changed, and there is no easy path right now.

AI has only accelerated this. It’s helping companies cut costs, reduce headcount, and rethink how they build teams. It’s disruptive—and confusing.

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The Strategies That Aren’t Working

Let’s be honest: LinkedIn has become noise.

Everyone’s posting, trying to build their brand, but few are saying anything meaningful.

• Case studies

• Cold DMs

• Trade shows

• Mass content marketing

 

All of it can work—but most of it gets lost in the noise.

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What Does Work (Even when it’s hard)

What cuts through today?

Honesty. Authenticity. Specificity.

Because in a world where:

• Cover letters are written by AI

• Resumes are inflated

• Portfolios are polished but generic…

 

People are craving real.

If you want help, ask for it—but be specific.

“Anything I can get” is not helpful.

“I’m looking for a digital product design role at a North American automotive company” gives me five people to introduce you to.

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Be Clear. Be Strategic.

Now is not the time to be generic or play to everyone.

Instead:

• Get clear on who you are and what you want

• Be open about your process and struggles

• Share your voice in a real, honest way

• Treat your personal brand like a product

 

And please—have more than one plan.

Plan A: Get a full-time job

Plan B: Freelance or consult

Plan C: Upskill

Plan D: Build a content platform

Plan E: Public speaking or teaching

If Plan A fails, don’t let yourself fall apart. Build options.

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What’s Coming Next

I do think we’re starting to see a shift:

• More job postings

• More interviews happening

• Hiring starting to unfreeze

 

But let’s be real—many companies are in “wait and see” mode until after the U.S. election. There’s uncertainty. There’s fear. Nobody wants to make a move until they know which direction things are going.

And when it does shift?

I think we’re going to see a second Great Resignation.

People are burned out, disillusioned, and disengaged. They’re staying in jobs they hate just to get a paycheck. When the balance of power swings back to employees, the floodgates will open again.

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Final Truths

If you’re creating content, make sure it’s authentic.

If you’re asking for help, be clear and specific.

If you’re looking for work, be patient, strategic, and honest with yourself.

And never forget: your company is not your family.

They can feel like it. You can build relationships that are real and lasting, but companies don’t love you. They make business decisions.

That’s why you need to take ownership of your story, your growth, and your future.

This is the era of defensive employment.

We need to be scrappy.

We need to look out for ourselves.

We need to help each other when we can.

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Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

If you’ve found something that’s working, let me know.

If you disagree with any of this, reach out.

If you’ve got a secret, you bet I want to hear it.

There are so many people in pain, in limbo, and looking for hope. If we can help them, we should.

As always, I appreciate you listening.

Please share the show if it helped you.

And until next time—stay crazy.

Tagged as:
2024 insights c consumer behavior creative industry creative professionals economic pressures evolving technologies industry challenges job market layoffs navigating change new opportunities skill adaptation staying relevant workforce trends