No, it’s not just you – 2025 is déjà vu all over again. 🤯

Ghosted clients. Hiring freezes. Execs claiming, “we’ll revisit in Q3.” If it feels like a rerun of 2023’s chaos, that’s because it kind of is.

Back in 2023, I hit the perfect storm: training gigs dried up, AI exploded, and I lost my mum. It was the hardest year of my life, professionally and personally.

But that brutal year forced me to rebuild smarter. What I learned then is saving my sanity now, and I want to share it, just in case you’re staring at your inbox wondering, “Is this it?”

Here are four real strategies I used to future-proof my recruiting career, not just with AI, but with guts, branding, and backup plans.

1. Get Over the Fear — AI Is Your Advantage, Not Your Enemy 🤖

In 2023, I stared at ChatGPT thinking, “Well, this could either ruin us… or make us better.” Spoiler: it made me better. Way better.

Today, I teach recruiters how to build their own GPTs and write prompts that actually move the needle. I don’t use AI to replace human touch – I use it to save time and give me energy back.

Here’s the real shift: Generative AI isn’t just a tool for tech recruiters or fancy agencies. It’s a secret weapon for every recruiter, no matter where you are or who you’re trying to find.

✅ What does that mean in practice?

• Stop wasting hours on the basics: Use AI to clean up your Boolean strings, generate outreach messages, or even reformat job ads for different channels.
• Spark new sourcing strategies: AI can suggest new platforms or candidate segments you may have missed. If you’re always fishing in the same pond, AI will show you a whole new ocean.
• Turbocharge your communication: Use AI to draft first messages, tweak your tone, or personalise outreach for different roles and cultures.

📌 Quick win: Pick one task this week that drains you — whether it’s follow-up messages, Boolean string clean-up, or crafting a short list for a tough role — and feed it to AI. Let it do the heavy lifting, then refine it with your human eye.

💬 Real talk: Recruiters who ignore AI won’t just fall behind — they’ll be replaced by someone who didn’t. The future of recruiting is the recruiter who knows how to use AI as their sidekick, not as their replacement.

🌍 Global note: Whether you’re in Manila or Manchester, Nairobi or New York, these AI tools work just as well. The secret sauce is you – your local knowledge, your sense of culture fit, your ability to turn a cold message into a warm conversation. AI just makes that faster and easier.

2. Stop Trading Time for Money — Build Something That Earns While You Rest 💻

When workshops stalled in 2023, I launched my Online Academy. Just me, my mic, and my sourcing brain in video format. No approvals. No waiting. It worked.

The truth? When companies cut L&D, individuals invest in themselves. People don’t stop learning because budgets tighten — they look for the next best resource, and they’re willing to pay for it. That’s where you come in.

✅ What does that look like?

• Don’t overthink it: Start small. Record a video or build a resource in whatever format feels easy for you — even a simple Loom walkthrough or a Notion template can be enough to get the ball rolling.
• Solve real problems: Think about the one thing you do better than anyone else, how you source tech talent in new markets, how you write outreach that gets responses, and how you close passive candidates. Package that up.
• Sell it smart, not hard: You don’t need fancy software or a production team. A landing page, a Stripe/PayPal link, and a clear message about what people will learn is all you need to start.

📌 Quick win: This week, pick one small piece of your expertise and turn it into something you can share or sell — a Notion doc, a Google Drive checklist, or a quick Loom tutorial. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just get it out there.

💬 Hard truth: If your only income relies on someone else’s budget… that’s a risky business model. Building your own product, even a small one, means you’re no longer waiting for someone else’s budget to open up. You’re building your own runway.

🌍 Global note: No matter where you’re based, Lagos, Lisbon, Lahore, there’s a market for what you know. The world is your classroom when you put your knowledge online.

3. LinkedIn Is Not Your CV — It’s Your Handshake 🤝

We’ve all seen the AI-generated posts. Zero soul, zero story. You don’t need to sound like a blog – you need to sound like you.

Some of my best work came from DMs, not viral posts. It’s about consistently showing up and adding value to your network. No sales pitch. Just helpful tidbits of information that spark curiosity and build trust.

✅ What does that look like?

• Think beyond the job board: LinkedIn isn’t just where you hunt for candidates, it’s where you build a reputation. When you share your thinking, your approaches, and your insights, you’re showing the world how you work, not just what you want to fill.
• Be real, not robotic: Instead of polished perfection, aim for human. Tell the messy bits, the lessons you learned the hard way, or the conversations that changed your perspective.
• Focus on the handshake, not the transaction: Every post, every comment, every DM is a chance to build your brand. And your brand isn’t just for clients or candidates — it’s for your career, wherever it takes you next.

📌 Quick win: Post one story or lesson this week — even if it’s a short LinkedIn update. Then DM someone you think would benefit from it. That’s how real connections are made.

💬 Truth bomb: Your personal brand isn’t what you say — it’s what people remember about you when your name comes up in a conversation. And LinkedIn is your stage for that. Not a job board. Not a CV. A living, breathing handshake.

🌍 Global note: Whether you’re in Berlin or Bangalore, LinkedIn levels the playing field. The stories you share can resonate across borders — and that’s where real sourcing magic starts.

4. Lean Into the Fractional Future 🧩

I’m not full-time anywhere. I’m fractional everywhere. Startups love it. So do I. I get to swoop in, fix their sourcing systems, train their teams, and move on — no headcount drama.

✅ What does that look like?

• Play to your strengths: Fractional work isn’t about being a stopgap. It’s about being the expert who brings fresh energy and laser focus, without the strings of permanent contracts.
• Show your value fast: Startups and scaleups often need sourcing help yesterday. If you can swoop in and show them a clear plan — how you’ll find them talent, build their brand, or fix their funnel — they’ll listen.
• Flexibility is a feature, not a bug: The best part? You’re in control. Your schedule, your clients, your workflow. And in a world that’s constantly shifting, that’s the real security.

📌 Quick win: Draft your “Fractional Recruiter” elevator pitch. Keep it tight: What problems do you solve? For who? In what format? Think:

• “I help tech startups scale their hiring without blowing up their budgets.”
• “I design outreach strategies that actually get passive talent to respond.”
• “I build your sourcing engine so you don’t have to.”

💬 Reminder: Flexibility is the new job security. Especially in talent. If you can offer a slice of your sourcing magic without a full-time tie-down, you’re exactly what modern companies crave.

🌍 Global note: Whether you’re working from Cape Town or Copenhagen, this fractional approach opens doors to companies you’d never reach in your own city. The work is everywhere. And so are you.

Bonus: The Silence Is Your Training Ground 🔇

No emails? No bookings? Use that time.

Learn a new tool. Refresh your outreach copy. Build a prompt library. I recommend that you get started here with my Tried & Tested AI Tools for Recruiters.

🔥 If you haven’t yet? Check out the free training on my Online Academy.

TL;DR — If You Got Through 2023, You’re Built for 2025 – Future-proof your Recruiting Career

Here’s your future-proof recruiting checklist:

• ✅ Block 30 mins to try an AI tool per week
• ✅ Post one helpful thing on LinkedIn every week
• ✅ DM one person with something useful
• ✅ Draft your fractional services pitch
• ✅ Enrol in one course, even if it’s a free course – ABL – Always Be Learning

Want to go deeper? I’d love to help you build your own GPT or source smarter using AI. Book a 1:1 session by dropping me an email here: [email protected]

No pressure. But the future’s not waiting.

You’ve got this. 🫡👍🏼🙆🏼