You honed your CV and cover letter, polished your interview skills and were hopeful that your exciting new job was just over the horizon. And then… nothing. Is it your fault? Are your skills rusty? Did you not do enough research? Why is it SO hard to get a job?
Firstly, let us reassure you—it’s not you. It’s the current hiring landscape, and charities are no exception. Here we examine the question, just why is it so hard to get a job right now?
The rise and fall of the recruitment market
We’ve been spoilt the last few years. After the pandemic, there was an absolute boom in hiring. By the time restrictions were finally lifted, the services of charities were needed more than ever. People had also reassessed their priorities, with many moving jobs to do something different, and some withdrawing from the workforce altogether.
This meant that charities had a record number of vacancies, so candidates had their pick of jobs and were very much able to call the shots. Sadly, that couldn’t last forever. But what’s changed?
Fewer jobs available
Firstly, there aren’t as many jobs around as there used to be. Here at CharityJob we had 20% fewer jobs posted on our site in 2024 than in 2023. Due to a disastrous combination of economic conditions, including the cost of living crisis, resulting reduction in donations, increased National Insurance contributions and other geopolitical factors, it’s not really a surprise that charities have been struggling financially. Many have been forced to take actions such as not replacing leavers, getting rid of entry level roles (which are scarce in the sector anyway), or even making redundancies.
Increasing numbers of remote roles
Although there were some around before, remote roles have shot up in popularity since the pandemic, with many charities reducing or getting rid of their office space altogether. This expands the pool of available candidates for jobs, as location is no longer a restriction, so remote roles are now particularly difficult to secure.
The use of AI
Candidates are increasingly using AI to complete their job applications. This is good, as it can help speed up the process at a time when you need to be doing more applications than usual to find the right job. But it’s also bad, as the ease of applying means some recruiters are receiving hundreds of applications. This makes it more difficult for candidates to stand out, and for recruiters to find the best match for their role.
To help mitigate this, some recruiters are turning to AI themselves, using hiring algorithms to shortlist candidates. It’s hard to fully understand how these work, but they aren’t always successful in highlighting the best applicants, making it trickier to be successful even when you’re a strong candidate for the role.
So, why is it so hard to get a job? All the above factors are increasing the competition for a decreasing number of roles. It’s not you. It’s tough out there.
Struggling to find a job? Here’s what to do
Produce a unique application for each role
Even in a saturated market, in fact especially in a saturated market, you’re always better off investing your time in applying for fewer roles well than lots of roles half-heartedly. This means doing your homework for each application and properly researching the charity and its causes, using your cover letter to explain what inspires you to apply for the specific role and tweaking your CV to highlight your most relevant skills.
Don’t be tempted to use AI to fire off a quick cover letter without doing your research, or to send identical CVs for every role. This won’t save you time in the long run as you won’t stand out to recruiters. If you use AI, use it to help you with your research or checking your application at the end, rather than to do it for you. It can also be useful for suggesting interview questions to help you prepare.
Broaden your search horizons
It’s worth noting that on our site, remote roles get four times more applications than hybrid roles and seven (yes, seven!) times more than on-site roles. So if you’ve been looking for a new remote role and haven’t had any luck, but you can travel into an office location, even just some of the time, then it’s worth spreading the net a bit wider and applying for hybrid and/or on-site roles too.
The competition will be lower, which might just help you get over the line. You can then always negotiate at offer stage or make a flexible working request to make sure the conditions work for your circumstances.
Similarly, if you’ve been looking for permanent roles, then you could also consider fixed term contracts. These tend to be more prevalent in the charity sector and yes, it is a bit annoying that you might have to look for a job again in one/two/three years’ time, but these contracts are often extended or made permanent. And, with any luck, the recruitment market might at least be looking better once you get to the end of the contract.
Get your name out there
It’s age-old advice, but that’s because it works. Whether it’s posting on LinkedIn, joining an online community such as CharityConnect or attending real life networking events, making your presence known can put you at an advantage. You’re more likely to hear about opportunities or stand out in the application process if the right people recognise your name or face.
Use your time well
Not working at the moment? Consider how you can use your free time outside of looking for jobs. Volunteering is an excellent use of your time as it helps to keep you motivated, build your skills and puts you in the best position to hear about paid roles.
Taking courses is also another useful way to upskill yourself and increase your employability. The NCVO, Charity Excellence or Charity Digital can be great places to start.
Be patient
Above all, be patient and hang in there. You’ll get the right job eventually, it might just take a bit longer than usual. And the job market will shift again in time. Be kind to yourself and you’ll get there. Good luck!
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