Welcome back, Interview Army

If you don’t remember who we are, we’re Interview Army, and we called or texted you in the past to help you get a job at Amazon or FedEx in their warehouse or as a driver. You said we can keep in touch here and there when we have jobs or info you may be interested in, so here I am with a new newsletter where I’ll do some more of that.

I promise this will be helpful, won’t waste your time, and won’t spam your inbox. We’ll only send you relevant info about searching a job, new tools, tips, and news about how to make the job search suck less, because I sure as hell know it does. So, give us a shot and keep reading.

You can read more here about what we do. Now onto the newsletter…

The job market sucks, pay isn't keeping up with inflation, and you're tired of the grind. But guess what? It’s still possible to get the job and pay that you want. Let's talk about why your pay is lower than you want, who’s actually hiring, and how to search for a job…the right way.

Today’s Insights

• Why your paycheck is lower than you want

• Who’s actually hiring right now?

• Which jobs will be around in 10 years?

• The best time of the year to find a job and how to do it right

🔥🔥🔥Today’s Hot Jobs 🔥🔥🔥 

Company: Veyo, Doordash, Instacart and some CDL-A jobs (if you have it)

Job Title/Pay: Delivery Driver (pay varies, but typically $10-$20 per hour)

Company: Sevita

Job Title/Pay: Direct Support Professional ($13.50 to $15 per hour)

Show your interest here and we’ll send you the recruiter’s job link

THE PAYCHECK PROBLEM

You’re not wrong—your pay is trash… still

TLDR: Wages are up, but don’t believe the hype. Also, pay varies by person and water is wet.

Weekly earnings are up since last year. Sounds like a win, right? Nope. With inflation at 3.2%, this "raise" barely covers the cost of living.

If that’s not bad enough, here’s how pay differs by person:

• By Gender:

  • Men: $1,253 weekly

  • Women: 18.8% less at $1,017.44

• By Race:

  • Hispanics: $903

  • Blacks: $941

  • Whites: $1,167

  • Asians: $1,500

• By Age:

  • Ages 45-54: $1,311 weekly

  • Ages 16-24: $733 weekly

 TAKEAWAY

Things seem solid on the news and from Biden’s speeches, but people with eyeballs see workers struggling to simply live their lives. Costs are going up while pay stays flat, which has a much larger impact on lower to lower-middle-class workers. It’s nothing new, it’s been a fight for as long as there were bosses and workers, and it’s a struggle to make any progress. The truth is, you either get lucky or you have to fight for your share. The struggle continues today—what will you do about it?

WHO’S HIRING RIGHT NOW?

Is it a good time to leave your job?

TLDR: Getting a new job is tough right now. May want to stick to where you’re at.

Before you consider making a move, you should know about the market. Here are the numbers:

Total open jobs right now: 8.1 million (1.2 million less than last year).

Most jobs added: The Government (+117,000), Manufacturing and Logistics

(+97,000), Construction (+27,000), Health Care (+22,000)

Who’s not hiring: Retail and Food: Down 147,000 jobs. If flipping burgers was your plan, might want to pivot.

Hiring and Firing Stats:

• Hires: Businesses aren’t in a rush to hire.

• Quits: ~3.5 million brave souls bounced, but that’s still down 550,000 from last year.

• Layoffs/Firings: Getting fired never goes out of style.

TAKEAWAY

If you're vibing with your current job, stay there. If you're itching for a change, get ready for grind. Jobs in tech, healthcare, and business are booming, while retail, admin support, and production are on the struggle bus. It’s an employer’s market, which is never good for workers.

THE FUTURE OF WORK

The best jobs to have in 10 years and which will be lost to AI

TLDR: What jobs will still be around in 10 years. Healthcare and tech seem good but retail and production are lookin weird.

AI and automation are changing the game. A ton of jobs and entire industries will be lost to automation, while others will be booming. I’m sure you may bethinking, “SHOULD I BE FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW? I AM FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW!” about losing your jobs to robots in the near future. But here’s the thing.. you’ll probably be alright. Just be smart about things and think about what jobs and industries will probably still be around 10 years from now.

Here’s what you should aim for:

Fastest Growing Sectors (By 2032)

• Tech Jobs: (Software developers, data scientists)

• Healthcare: (Nurses, nursing assistants)

• Social Services: (Social workers, counselors)

• Business and Financial: (Accountants, HR specialists)

• Management: (Project managers, financial managers)

• Transportation: (Truck drivers, forklift operators)

• Engineering: (Civil engineers, architects)

Here’s what you should aim for and avoid:

Declining Sectors (By 2032)

• Manufacturing: (package handlers, assemblers, machine operators)

• Retail: (Cashiers, sales)

• Office and Administration (admin assistants, receptionists)

TAKEAWAY

With the rise of AI and the boomers hitting retirement, tech and healthcare are expected to explode in demand. You can also always count on e-commerce growing because you won’t leave your house and that stuff’s not gonna deliver itself to your door. Whatever job you target, just make sure it’s not gonna be wiped out by AI. And plan your career like your life depends on it—because it kinda does.

INSIDER’S ADVICE

How to search for a job the right way

TLDR: AI tools, networking, and LinkedIn are best for job search. Only use other stuff for research, unless it’s specialized or a quick apply form.

After 15 years of personally being behind the job postings you see online, I’ve got the tea on what actually works. Here’s my take on what to do to make your job search suck a little less.

The Best Times to Apply for a Job, Statistically:

• Time of Year: Jan-Feb and Sept-Nov

• Days: Tuesdays, according to ZipRecruiter.

• Time: As soon as a job is posted. Otherwise, late night/early morning to be 1st in a recruiter’s stack of resumes.

The Worst Times to Apply for a Job:

• Time of Year: Summertime and December.

• Days: Saturday. Nobody’s working on the weekend.

• Time: 6-10am - you’re 5x more likely to get an interview, says Forbes

BTW, that’s all BS. The best time to apply is ALWAYS as soon as a job is posted, which varies. Plus, you can definitely get a job no matter what time of the day or month it is.

So you’re ready to apply. Here’s how you do it:

1. AI Tools: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot

They’re free and you can do anything with them. Write cover letters, resumes, emails—whatever. Seriously, stop what you’re doing and sign up.

2. Networking:

Someone vouching for you is statistically the most effective way to get a job.

3. LinkedIn

Reach out directly to friends, hiring managers, whoever. It humanizes the process more than any other place. Just be normal, not annoying, and you’re good.

4. Job boards:

I’ve worked for various job boards, so I have the DL. Use these for 2 things:

• Research: They have pretty much all of the jobs on the internet. Find something interesting? Go to your network or LinkedIn.

• Quick apply: to bang out a bunch of applications

• Specialized jobs: Use things like JobGet or Wellfound to find unique jobs and a different experience.

• Glassdoor: Get a peek behind the curtain with real salary info, reviews, and more for current or past employees.

TAKEAWAY

Combining AI tools with traditional methods can make your job search way better. Use the technology at your disposal, lean on your network, and stay proactive.

Want to get $100? Share this newsletter with friends and family here or below. If they subscribe, you’ll be entered into a raffle where I’ll choose 1 person a month!

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See ya next time. Thanks for reading.

Doug

If you want to see some more cool stuff:

• Trust me, you’re more qualified than you think

• The top 20 tools you need to get a job

• Sick of your job? Here's how to successfully transition to something better