Hate to burst your bubble, but according to Madeline Mann, there’s “no such thing as job security.”
This might not be what you want to hear, especially when the job market is as soft as it is. But as the career coach and host of Self Made Millennial points out in her interview on the Mindvalley Book Club, “You can lose your job at any time.”
That’s no big secret, really. Everybody knows about the recent layoffs. And when you get on LinkedIn, there are profile after profile with that elusive green #OpentoWork banner or “raising the white flag” posts.
While it may feel like the time to panic, don’t…is what Madeline’s out here to say. She’s figured out a way to reverse the search and have recruiters come knocking instead of ghosting.
Watch her full interview on Mindvalley Book Club’s YouTube:
Why Madeline Mann says job security is no longer enough
Most of us were told that the path was simple: study hard, get hired, stay loyal, and retire secure. But that, as Madeline points out, is likely no longer the case.
You could be the top performer, everything can go right for you, and you can still get laid off.
— Madeline Mann, career coach and author of Reverse the Search
The pandemic shattered the illusion of “safe” jobs. At the height of COVID-19, millions of Americans lost their jobs in a matter of weeks, pushing unemployment to 14.7%, the highest since the Great Depression. Even after recovery, the tremors didn’t stop.
By the first quarter of 2023, more than 160,000 tech employees got laid off, followed closely by waves in healthcare and manufacturing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. industries lost over seven million jobs that same quarter.
The thing is, layoffs don’t just hit those shown the door. Research shows they ripple through entire teams, hurting morale, productivity, and long-term company performance.
That’s why Madeline says there’s no job security. “The company owns your job,” she tells Kristina Mӓnd-Lakhiani, the host of Mindvalley Book Club. “You could be the top performer, everything can go right for you, and you can still get laid off.”
What makes it worse, she adds, is that most people don’t prepare until it’s too late. Too many professionals grow comfortable, convinced their title or tenure will protect them. “I have to shout very loudly to people who are very comfortable right now and think that nothing bad is going to happen,” she says.
These days, the ground moves fast, companies restructure overnight, and artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes entire departments. The rise of contract and fractional work means the traditional career ladder is now more like a revolving door.
The old promise of stability? It’s gone. What remains is adaptability.
3 valid reasons you’re stuck in your job search, according to Madeline Mann
If job security is out the window, the next logical question is, why can’t most people seem to move forward?
You can blame the economy (granted, it’s not in the most stable place right now). However, based on what Madeline says, it really boils down to how you approach the job search.
Most job seekers don’t realize it, but the rules have changed. In her sit-down with Kristina, Madeline shares some of the most common blind spots she sees that keep even seasoned professionals from moving forward. (If you’d like to get the full scope of her insights, you can check out her book, Reverse the Search: How to Turn Job Seeking Into Job Shopping.)
1. You’re selling your past instead of your future
Take a look at your résumé. What does it look like?
If it reads like a tidy list of titles, dates, and bullet points, it becomes a record of where you’ve been instead of a preview of where you’re going.
Madeline sees this mistake constantly. Most people focus on their achievements instead of their potential, speaking the language of their past rather than the needs of the present.
Hiring managers aren’t trying to relive your career highlights. When they see your résumé, they’re imagining what you’d bring to the table next quarter.
“Everything you show to them shows how you are going to be highly effective for them going forward in the future,” she adds. That’s the blind spot: your story ends where your personal branding should begin.
2. You’re invisible in the places that matter
You might be great at what you do. But if no one can see it, the right people can’t act on it.
Madeline points out that the people landing the best offers aren’t always the most qualified. They’re simply the most visible.
“A huge piece of reversing the search and job security is making yourself more findable online,” she says. And as a 2025 study found, consistent LinkedIn use is linked to stronger career performance expectations.
The problem? Most professionals disappear the moment they get comfortable. They stop showing their work, and they stop staying visible.
And over time, even strong careers fade quietly out of sight.
3. You’re approaching the job search like it’s 2010
You hit “Apply.” You wait… And then, crickets.
The thing is, automated filters, AI screenings, and ghost job listings have changed the game entirely. So the old-school way of applying everywhere, bracing for the same “Where do you see yourself in five years?” question, and hoping something sticks is no longer viable.
“Companies are making a lot of pivots right now,” Madeline explains. “They’re like, ‘Oh, should we replace that role with AI? Do we actually need someone who’s more senior? Do we need someone more junior?’”
The job market now rewards precision, not effort. Which is why there’s more work, less return, and a growing sense that you’re doing everything right while somehow going nowhere.
Madeline Mann’s pro tips to reverse the search and get job offers coming to you
“Job searching,” says Madeline, “is a skill.” Take it from the highly experienced career strategist whose LinkedIn course, Job Interview Nano Tips with Madeline Mann, has amassed over 600,000 learners.
But with the old rules of job hunting out the window, what can you do about it?
Her answer is career security. It’s what she helps her clients build, so much so that “even after they land a job, they keep getting inbound requests for interviews.”
Here’s how you can do the same:
1. Build visibility before you need it
When was the last time you touched your LinkedIn profile? Or turned to networking without needing a favor?
Most people only think about visibility after they’ve lost it. They update their profiles in a panic, fire off a few messages, and wonder why the response feels cold.
“It’s like, don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry,” says Madeline. What she means by that is “try not to job shop when you’ve lost your job.”
Granted, visibility is a slow build. But when you continually share insights, engage with others, or publish something that reflects your expertise, you’re making it easy for recruiters, collaborators, and decision-makers to find you.
Case in point: an analysis by Buffer looked at over 100,000 users across platforms. They found that those who posted regularly got more than five times the engagement per post compared to users who posted inconsistently.
Another case in point: Sprout Social (which tracks social media metrics for brands) reported that consistent posting was a key factor in visibility and reach. They found that smaller brands posting “4-5 times per week” on TikTok, for example, saw material growth because their content pipelines allowed for more experimentation and volume.
“Always thinking about how you need to be building,” she adds. “You know, having intentional steps every month towards building your career so that your next career step is sure-footed.”
That way, when the next door opens, you’re already prepared to walk through it.
2. Treat every connection like an open door
You never really know which conversation will change your career. Every recruiter, colleague, or hiring manager you meet is a potential ally in disguise.
Madeline knows this firsthand. When she was laid off from her “dream job,” she already had a lineup of opportunities waiting.
“I had been posting on LinkedIn,” she said. “I had been keeping my network warm.” So every time a head of HR role opened up, she was one of the first people they called.
Even interviews, she points out, can be networking moments to move you closer to your career goals. You may not get the job, but you might leave an impression strong enough that they recommend you or call you later with a role you never imagined.
3. Keep your message consistent
Madeline says that career security is built on clarity and consistency.
This is what Madeline calls “building a machine that keeps attracting opportunities.” Research shows that being consistent in how you present yourself can help you feel more confident and satisfied in your career. But if your résumé says one thing, your LinkedIn another, and your interview stories something else entirely, you’re just confusing the people who might want to hire you.
Sometimes, the confusion starts inside. Many people feel torn between what they do for a living and what they’d rather be doing.
Madeline gets that. But as she puts it, “A job is to make money, and you need to go into professions where there is market demand.”
Still, if you’re thinking about a career change, she suggests doing it strategically. Understand how your current skills translate, where the demand is, and what the next step looks like before you make the leap.
4. Stay curious, not comfortable
You can always tell when someone’s stopped learning. Their ideas sound the same, their stories haven’t changed in years, and they start to believe experience alone will protect them.
From her years in human resources, she’s seen the pattern repeat. “We don’t care if you have 25 years of experience,” she says. “If you’ve lived the same year of your career 25 times, you need to be growing.”
She urges professionals to keep learning, no matter how seasoned they are. As research shows, employees who continue developing new skills are significantly more likely to get promoted and stay engaged in their work.
One way Madeline suggests doing it is to “constantly consume other people’s content.” Find out where people in your industry hang out and stay curious.
Not only does that help you build a brand for yourself, but it also shows companies that you’re a quick learner, still evolving, still interested, and still open.
5. Make AI your skill, not your competition
If you’ve been pretending AI won’t touch your job, that has wishful thinking written all over it. But instead of freaking out about this evolution, it’s a great, if not the best, time to start exploring how to learn AI.
For instance, longtime accountant Wei Khjan Chan could sense that his job might be taken over by machines. So he took the opportunity to learn vibe coding to stay ahead.
“It’ll be great if I get to know AI earlier,” he says in an article in Business Insider. “At least I replace myself rather than let other people replace me.”
Madeline, herself, suggests to “be the candidate who is so knowledgeable of AI in your profession.”
One marketer she interviewed brought up the fact that he had been using AI automations for LinkedIn content creation. At first, she expected him to say he recycled viral posts. “That’s so tired and lazy,” she recalls thinking.
Much to her surprise, he shared that he takes all of the data from every post, measures which one got the most engagement, connects that to sales numbers, and uses AI to build a posting schedule for peak times.
“That is the level you should understand AI for your profession,” Madeline emphasizes. Not fear, not gimmicks, but imagination backed by skill.
Fuel your mind
You can tell a lot about where your life is headed by the books on your nightstand. The right ones, like Madeline Mann’s Reverse the Search, inform you and move you.
At the Mindvalley Book Club, Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani and her team handpick books that stay with you long after you’ve closed the cover. Each month, she sits with authors shaping the way we live and think, drawing out the lessons that change how you see your world.
You’ll hear the stories behind the ideas, the moments that shaped them, and the insights you can use in your own life.
Here’s what to expect:
- One transformative book each month, chosen for its power to shift your perspective,
- Honest, unfiltered conversations with the authors,
- Practical takeaways you can apply right away,
- A community that reads to grow together, and
- Much more.
The great thing is, the Mindvalley Book Club is free to join. Come in and make reading sexy again.
Welcome in.
