Calm Before the Shift: Why Career Professionals Will Be Essential in What Comes Next

– By Sharon Graham, Founder and Chair of Career Professionals of Canada –

Right now, Canada’s job market has a somewhat uncomfortable undercurrent. Across our country, within companies, among clients, and throughout our career circles, uncertainty is in the air. As a career professional, you can feel it too, not stability, but a quiet sense of hesitation.

Employers are holding back, waiting and watching trade policy changes, technological developments, and economic signals before making hiring or restructuring decisions. This is a pause, not a resolution.

Christine Ball has her finger on the pulse of our profession, “While hiring decisions stall and organizations wait to see what unfolds, we are not standing still. Technology is transforming how career professionals support their clients, enabling us to offer innovative, timely, and tailored guidance. We are equipping individuals and employers with the tools, strategies, and confidence they need to navigate change. Grounded in human connection and adaptability, our profession ensures that when the market moves, our community is ready to meet it head-on.”

We’re already seeing the signs of change. Conversations are changing, priorities are shifting, and both employers and job seekers are holding their breath. When the uncertainty lifts, the shift will not be gradual. It will be swift. The question is not if the job market will move, but when and how fast.

When it comes, jobs will appear. Jobs will vanish. Entire career paths will pivot. And in the middle of it all, millions of Canadians will need guidance that goes far beyond what machines can offer. They will need you.

A Time of Pause, Not Peace

Recent data show that Canada added 83,100 jobs in June 2025, marking the first gain since January and pushing the unemployment rate down to 6.9%. However, in the preceding months the unemployment rate had climbed, the highest since before the pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of job vacancies dropped. These mixed signals indicate not strong momentum, but rather a transitional slowdown and hesitation, as employers await clearer direction.

The Human Need for Meaning Remains

Even in uncertain times, people seek purposeful work and genuine recognition. They want to align their roles with their values, skills, and goals, but often struggle to articulate that journey alone. That is where career professionals excel. You guide clients to reflect on their identity and strengths, then position those authentically for employers.

Reports show long-term unemployment is rising. These clients need more than tactics. They need encouragement, resilience training, and strategic support.

When clients face layoffs, career shifts, or role ambiguity, they need more than just documents. They need someone who listens authentically, helps them reflect, and guides them toward clarity and action.

Connection is at the core of your work. Your role is not just to help with applications. It is to support life-work transitions. Cathy Milton, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at CPC, reminds us, “In times of uncertainty, what people truly seek is to be seen and understood. As career professionals, we offer more than guidance. We offer hope, clarity, and a safe space for people to rediscover their purpose. This human connection is what transforms careers and lives.”

Clients Need Résumé Strategists

As a career professional, you go beyond résumé editing. You cultivate clarity, confidence, and direction. AI may generate content, but it cannot hold space for reflection or help clients identify what truly matters to them.

AI tools can now craft résumés, cover letters, summaries, and even interview scripts. But they work without understanding your client’s lived experience, motivations, or values. They cannot coach through emotional readiness or support identity exploration.

Because AI tools scrape from thousands of online resources, the résumés and profiles they generate often sound generic and repetitive. While they may follow current formatting trends or include industry buzzwords, they rarely reflect the unique strengths, values, and voice of the individual. This is where you play a vital role.

If you are a résumé writer, this is not a time to be anxious. You help clients uncover and express their authentic story, something no algorithm can replicate. That personal insight helps them stand out, not just on paper, but in real conversations with employers.

Barb Penney, Master Certified and Award-Winning résumé writer and career coach has had success even during these times. She offers sage advice: “Résumé writers play a crucial role for job seekers across Canada. Just last week, a senior finance professional shared that the career documents I prepared were ‘a million times better’ than their previous résumé. Now she has a top-notch résumé and a renewed sense of confidence. Our work can change lives.”

AI as a Helper, not a Replacement

While AI can accelerate administrative tasks, it lacks context, intuition, and ethics. Most users do not know how to prompt AI effectively, resulting in generic or inappropriate outputs. Human expertise bridges the gap by shaping prompts with insight, nuance, and empathy.

You must continue to assert the human value you bring to career development. A recent CareerWise piece authored by Sonny Wong, a Registered Psychotherapist who practises career-focused counselling, puts it perfectly: “AI will not displace CDPs, but CDPs who fail to embrace new technologies may find themselves left behind.” It is a call to reclaim your expertise and continue leading with purpose.

AI may assist document creation, but we deliver transformation.

Career Professionals Who Adapt, Thrive

Career professionals have faced change before: economic downturns, regulatory shifts, and digital disruption. When our environment rebounds, they emerge stronger.

Although this is a pause, many practitioners are thriving. What they have in common is the ability to articulate their value and pivot to new tools and services.

Wayne Pagani, a leader in career development and career transition management is a prime example of how adaptability leads to success: “This past year has been my busiest yet, and it’s not by chance. Staying relevant means consistently positioning yourself and your business for opportunities, then being ready to pivot when circumstances change. The market will always keep shifting. The people who prepare in advance, build new connections, and adapt quickly are the ones who will continue to thrive. This is really no different from the principles we share with our career development clients.”

How to Talk with Employers and Policymakers

When you speak with employers, policymakers, or other decision-makers, remind them that investing in career development is not just a nice-to-have, it is a smart strategy. In uncertain times, employees need clear expectations, a sense of direction, and support to develop their transferable skills.

Proactively offering career development builds engagement, strengthens retention, and contributes to a healthier workplace culture. You might say: “Employees who feel confident in their path are more productive, collaborative, and committed. Supporting their growth isn’t just about helping individuals. It’s about building long-term resilience for your organization and for Canada.”

How to Talk with Clients

When you work with clients, it is helpful to acknowledge the uncertainty they may be feeling. Reassure them that needing support does not mean they are unqualified or unprepared. It simply means they are ready to take the next step with clarity. You might say: “It’s completely normal to feel uncertain about what’s next. You don’t have to navigate it alone. I’m here to help you explore your strengths, create a tailored strategy, and move forward with purpose. You have someone who truly sees your potential.”

Help your clients understand that their story matters. Many assume their experience is not interesting or that a robot could write their résumé just as well. Reassure them that your role is to draw out what makes them different. You might say: “AI can help you write, but it doesn’t know you. Together, we’ll uncover your voice, your values, and the accomplishments that set you apart. Your résumé won’t just be a list of jobs, it will be a reflection of who you are.”

Reaffirming Our Purpose

In times like these, it is helpful to remember why you do this work. AI may evolve. Markets may fluctuate. Narratives may shift. But the human need to know who they are, what they offer, and how to move forward remains.

Your work, helping people articulate their identity, confidence, and direction, never goes out of style.

A Call to the CPC Community: Stay Prepared and Collaborative

This transitional period will end. When the job market moves again, and it will, you will be on the front line of guidance. You will support people through transitions, pivots, interviews, negotiations, and new beginnings.

At Career Professionals of Canada, we’re committed to supporting our members through this evolving landscape. Many of you are already integrating new tools, updating service offerings, and renewing your practice.

Here are practical ways to stay ready:

• Deepen your learning: explore online, but double down on learning and listening.
• Stay connected: share observations, resources, and strategies within our community.
• Remember your impact: quiet doesn’t equal absence. Every client you’ve helped matters.

You may not know exactly what is ahead. But you do know this: you are needed, and you are essential. And we are here for you.