A quick reminder: Recap from last year’s guide

These are some of the fundamentals from last year’s guide that you don’t want to miss.

1. Lead with a standout summary: Your summary is the first thing hiring managers see, and it must grab attention immediately. Match the job posting by including leadership position titles. Use metrics to showcase value up front.
2. Choose a resume design that commands attention: Your layout and language should align with leadership-level roles and include keywords tied to strategy, oversight, and transformation.
3. Get a LinkedIn facelift: A strong LinkedIn profile is non-negotiable. It should reinforce your resume and tell a cohesive story. Collect recommendations that speak to your leadership ability, and stay visible by posting somewhat regularly.
4. Make it obvious you’re a perfect match: Create a suitability map that directly connects the job responsibilities to your experience. On one side: what the role requires. On the other: your specific, measurable accomplishments that prove you can do the job.
5. Bring your soft skills to life: Leadership goes beyond technical ability. Show emotional intelligence, collaboration, and accountability through real examples. The goal is to demonstrate these skills clearly and concisely, not just claim them.

These principles haven’t changed. If anything, they’ve become more critical as the market has tightened and expectations have risen.

Fear around AI and the job search

There was a lot of anxiety in the job market throughout 2025. You probably saw it if you spent enough time doomscrolling on LinkedIn.

People are worried about layoffs. They’re worried about the economy. They’re asking questions like, “Is AI going to replace my job?” And in many cases, that fear is causing people to freeze or pause their job search altogether.

My encouragement to you is this: Do not worry. Do not live in fear.

You can still apply for jobs. You can still land meaningful, well-paying leadership roles. And if you’re feeling stuck, take this as your sign to keep moving forward.

Don’t hold back. 2026 is your year.

AI is on both sides of the hiring table

Right now, both employers and job seekers are using AI.

Recruiters are using AI for sourcing, screening, and scheduling. According to Boston Consulting Group, HR teams aren’t just experimenting with AI anymore; they’re investing heavily in it for speed and scale.

At the same time, job seekers are doing the same.

The result: a lot of robots talking to robots and very few real connections being made.

That’s the current landscape, but the good news is that you can stand out by doing what other job seekers are not doing.

How to win in an AI-saturated market

If you’re using AI tools like ChatGPT or resume builders for your resume, don’t let them do all the work. Use AI for structure or brainstorming, then spend real time injecting you into the document. Your story, your decisions, your leadership moments. Those are things no algorithm can replicate.

As Eric Woodard, one of our recent podcast guests, put it:

“Automation is noisy. Humanity cuts through the noise.”

ATS are evolving in 2026

Applicant tracking systems aren’t what they used to be. Many companies now use machine learning to help score and rank candidates.

Here’s the good news: this shift actually helps strong candidates. The dirty tricks like keyword stuffing become less useful as algorithms evolve beyond simple keyword searches.

Modern ATS platforms use AI, natural language processing, and semantic analysis to predict whether your experience will match the role, not just whether you copied the right buzzwords.

For example, if your resume shows that you scaled revenue from $500K to $1M, today’s systems can recognize that as strong sales capability—even if the word “sales” never appears. In fact, about 85% of ATS tools now evaluate capabilities, results, and transferable skills, not just job titles or exact phrasing.

What this means for your resume

Keywords still matter, but proof matters more. Again, this ties things together with our last guide, in which those principles hold the same.

Instead of relying on titles alone, focus on outcomes:

• Don’t just say “Marketing manager”
• Say: “Led a multi-channel campaign that increased engagement by 45%.”

Recruiting tools are also moving faster than ever. Platforms like Workday and Greenhouse now use AI to accelerate sourcing, screening, and interviewing. Efficiency is up, but personalization is often down. That’s why it’s more important than ever that your resume clearly communicates your value without relying on a recruiter to “read between the lines.”

Where to focus your resume

Even with smarter systems, the fundamentals haven’t changed. The strongest resumes still clearly show:

• What you’ve done
• The results you’ve driven
• The skills you bring
• Where you’re headed next

Those are the things that make you human and that no algorithm can perfectly replicate.

So don’t fear the ATS. Work with it. Communicate your impact clearly, write like a leader, and remember: technology may screen resumes, but people still make hiring decisions.

Consider diversifying your skills

Another tactic you can employ is diversifying your skills and interests. Growth doesn’t always mean a new job title. It might mean a side project, a certification, or building something outside your core role.

For me personally, that meant learning how to perform home repairs and starting my own roofing company. I didn’t do this because I’m leaving Let’s Eat, Grandma, but because I wanted to learn something completely new that AI can’t replicate soon.

Relationships still matter more than ever

Your job search should never rely solely on applications.

Ask yourself:

• Who can I reach out to right now?
• Who’s already doing the kind of work I want to do?
• Which alumni, former colleagues, or connections could offer insight—or simply a conversation? Hint: CUeLINKS can help you connect to Cornell alumni.

I recently hired someone to help with a roofing project for a client I cared about. I found that hire through a referral, and that immediately made the decision easier because there was already trust built in.

It’s not that posting online is bad or doesn’t work, but most human decisions are still driven by relationships and credibility. When someone we trust vouches for you, it carries far more weight than a cold application ever could.

Conclusion

Yes, the job search has changed, perhaps forever. AI is here, and it’s not going away. But your response should be to act more clearly, more intentionally, and be more human in your job search.

This updated guide will show you how to do exactly that by aligning your resume, LinkedIn presence, and strategy with how hiring actually works in 2026.

I welcome my fellow Cornell alumni to submit their resumes for a free review. If you need expert help crafting a standout resume, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Go Big Red!

Chris Villanueva is the CEO and Co-Founder of Let’s Eat, Grandma, an online resume service featured by The New York Post, The Balance, and Money.com. After graduating from the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Chris decided to apply his passion for people and service to one of the most stressful areas of life: the job hunt. His company has helped 11,000+ paying clients with their resumes—and hundreds of thousands more through the Career Warrior Podcast. Chris decided to apply his passion for people and service to one of the most stressful areas of life: the job hunt. His philanthropic mission is to help the underprivileged in society, so that the homeless, underserved, and formerly incarcerated can reintegrate back into the workforce.