New Year, New Career

We talk about what the 2026 job market actually looks like and what to do if you're thinking about switching careers or jobs this year.

What we cover:

Latest labor stats: jobless claims ticked up, job openings dropped by 300K, and white-collar roles are still getting hit hardest.

We run through which job titles are popping up for 2026: most involve AI implementation, integration, or scaling. AI engineer, data annotator, AI trainer. These are entry points for people switching fields if they're willing to learn new tools.

Nurse practitioners and sales pros are still doing fine. Turns out emotional intelligence and people skills matter more when AI handles the rest.

From a recruiter lens: we watch product manager openings and recruiter job postings as leading indicators. When those move, the broader market usually follows.

We talk about "job hugging" during bonus season. Q1 is weird because budgets open up and hiring picks up, but a lot of candidates are still hesitating. If you're ready, you can move faster than most.

For job seekers: holidays are over, so now's the time to actually network. Host something. Attend something. Stop relying on "easy apply."

Our habit picks for 2026:

Dan says "yes, and"—try industries you'd normally ignore.

John says talk to people in your network before you need something from them.

Aaron says pick a content format you like and actually stick with it.

The takeaway: Habits beat resolutions. You can't control when opportunities show up, but you can be ready when they do.

Resources:

LinkedIn Quickstart Guide and other downloadable classes at www.futureproof-you.com.
Use code NEWYEAR for 50% off.

0:38 — Labor Market Statistics
2:04 — Emerging Job Titles & AI Impact
5:43 — Hiring Indicators & Recruiter Insights
8:14 — Job Hugging & Bonus Season
11:37 — Advice for Job Seekers
22:56 — Best Habits for Career Success
34:11 — What We're Working On
39:15 — Closing Thoughts

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