I've spent 30 years in recruitment - this is how to get a job

Recruitment veteran James Reed says the number of graduate vacancies on his firm’s website has fallen from 180,000 to 50,000 in three or four years, and he is offering guidance on how candidates can stand out in a tightening market [1]. Reed, who has spent 30 years in the industry, described a hiring landscape where artificial intelligence often screens applications before a human sees them. “Computers shouldn’t reject people,” he said, but if AI is used, candidates should mirror the job description with their skills and experience [1]. He stressed that applicants must not fabricate qualifications. “It’s really important you don’t lie,” Reed said [1]. To build a record when entry-level roles are scarce, Reed advises taking temporary, casual, or part-time work, volunteering, joining community projects, or completing free online training such as the AI academy offered by Anthropic, the San Francisco-based company founded in 2021 by former OpenAI members [1][7]. Anthropic, which develops the Claude series of large language models, was valued at an estimated $965 billion in May 2026 [7]. Reed said AI can be a useful tool for drafting applications but warned against relying on it entirely. “Make sure your CV says who you are,” he said, recommending a one-page document with a strong opening statement [1]. He added that attention to grammar and spelling remains important, though he joked that an occasional typo can signal a human wrote it [1]. Communication, collaboration, and resilience are the skills Reed identified as essential. “Good communicators have an advantage,” he said, urging people to learn to express themselves and build confidence speaking in front of others [1]. He noted that nothing is achieved alone and that a self-centered interview performance will not lead to an offer. On persistence, he said, “If you can develop a super thick skin and be persistent and resilient, it will serve you well” [1]. Reed also questioned the default assumption that university is the best path for every young person, calling the idea that half of young people should attend “very outdated” and arguing that apprenticeships and trades deserve more respect [1]. His overarching advice is to treat a job as a problem to be solved and to present oneself as the solution, rather than expecting an employer to provide an opportunity simply because a candidate is present [1].