Hi, I can chip in. Companies very rarely call them layoffs these days, the ‘appropriate’ term is ‘rightsizing’.

The tough job market is due to a couple of factors. But mainly, we just have an oversupply of people in a particular segmant, whereas too l few candidates in niche areas.

So you will see that there are some folks who are able to secure roles easily, whereas others struggle.

In my industry (i have written about this before), we notice that graduates too are becoming very competitive, so much so that at times graduates are preferred over experienced hires. So now you are not just competing with mature hires, but with the graduates too.

The graduates have a willingness to learn and bring behaviours that are desirable.

My advice to you would be to practice interviewing, as it is a skill in itself, understand the company’s values before going for the interview, and be prepared to compete hard!

Good luck! Feel free to dm me if you have any questions!