Some thoughts from a client, friend and most recently a job seeker…
My Job Search 2026 in the World of Technology
by Neil Friedberg, Chief Human Resources Officer, Big Geyser Inc.
I’ve been in the workforce long enough to remember typing my resume on a typewriter and mailing or faxing it to a prospective employer I found in the New York Times Sunday want ads. I’ve seen the advent of job boards and the ever-increasing technology associated with them, and now AI. Not all change is necessarily for the better. In my humble opinion, humans are a little too far removed from a very human process.
I recently found myself looking for a new role, so where do you go?
The immediate answer is the Internet and the myriad job boards.
Additionally, you contact recruiters you know (and don’t know), work with your networking groups, contact former colleagues, and do anything else that expands your network. However, in 2026 the widest reach comes from the Internet, especially if you’re looking for a job that has the potential of being fully remote. I quickly realized that the challenge of submitting resumes on the Internet is that technology is looking at them, and in many cases so are recruiters who may not know or understand the value a seasoned professional can bring. That’s my thinly veiled attempt at saying ageism is real. Beyond that, I also knew that in order to penetrate this first line of defense, where the common reply is an automated thanks-but-no-thanks, I needed to dig deeper into my networks.
This is where the value of LinkedIn comes in. I looked at the agency that posted the role, or the company that posted the role directly, and asked: a) do I know anybody there, or b) do I know anyone who knows anyone there? Of course, these methods are not guarantees, but they do provide more options and opportunity than not doing them. What I found interesting was that in a number of cases I not only sent LinkedIn messages or emails, but also sent snail mail and left voicemails. Regardless of how many methods of communication I attempted, ghosting was generally what I experienced.
Now let’s come to the role that I currently hold, which I got three weeks ago. I submitted my application on LinkedIn to an agency I didn’t know that was looking for a confidential CHRO. Immediately I thought, “I’ve got two strikes against me: agency and confidential.” That said, the job description looked like it was written off my resume. I applied and then immediately looked to see who I knew. As it turns out, a very good friend of mine knew someone at the agency. I called him and asked for a favor. Could he reach out to this person and make contact on my behalf? He said sure. A day later I was speaking to somebody at the agency. I was interested in the role as they described it, and they indicated they would submit my resume. A day later the recruiter called me back and said the company wanted to interview me. I now knew the name of the company, so I looked them up as well. As it turned out, I knew the CFO. He immediately recognized my name on my resume when it came across his desk!
What was wonderfully and shockingly amazing was the speed at which the interview process took place: from initial submission to offer was three weeks! There was one video interview and two subsequent in-person meetings during that time. Everyone told me, “Oh, you’ll never find a good job on Long Island; you have to go to the city.” I didn’t want to go to the city. I’ve never wanted to go to the city, although I did do it earlier in my career. Now I am in a role that is providing me a wonderful opportunity to contribute, on Long Island.
Diligence, dare I say tenacity, a little bit of patience, and some fortuitous coincidence can all add up to job-hunting success in this day and age.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: NEIL FRIEDBERG
Neil Friedberg is a senior Human Resources executive with more than two decades of global leadership experience across distribution, manufacturing, logistics, telecom, and national service organizations. He is known for building HR functions from the ground up, scaling workforces, modernizing people operations, and aligning talent strategy with business performance. Most recently has earned his Executive Coaching Certification and joined Big Geyser, Inc as their CHRO.
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A Note of thanks from Lloyd’s President, Jason Banks, CSP
Lloyd always WELCOMES guest blogs from clients and candidates who have a “story” worth telling.
If you would like to submit an idea, please reach out to Nancy Schuman at NSchuman@LloydStaffing.com.
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