Christopher Harris, a business expert at Calculating.com, says hiring teams are paying more attention to patterns, not just titles or speed of movement. 

In the recent dynamic labour market, he says, certain career choices now point to fear rather than direction.

Speaking with recruiters while reviewing Harris’ comments, the perspectives aligned. Just movement can’t impress them anymore. What is important is whether a person appears settled, clear, and deliberate.

Below are six career moves Harris says now raise doubts instead of confidence. The reality is already seen in hiring sessions.

Six career moves recruiters now question

1. Changing jobs every few months
   Short stints used to pass as ambition. Now they usually trigger concerns about what will happen if they take you in. Recruiters want evidence of follow-through, not constant exits.

Harris says, “When I see someone with four jobs in two years, I don’t think ‘ambitious’, I think ‘what’s going wrong?’”

2. Jumping across unrelated roles without explanation

Switching careers is not the issue. Silence is. When a CV jumps from one field to another with no clear link, recruiters assume guesswork, not planning.

“Career pivots work when you can articulate the thread that connects them,” Harris explained.

3. Stacking certificates with no proof of use
   Courses and credentials are still important, but only when applied. Multiple certifications earned in quick succession, with no real-world use, now suggest insecurity.

“That comes across as someone trying to make themselves feel more secure by ticking boxes.”

4. Chasing titles instead of responsibility
   A bigger title without broader work no longer grabs attention. Recruiters look at scope, not labels. Repeated senior titles with shrinking duties raise doubts.

In Harris’s words: “If you’ve been a ‘Senior Manager’ at three different companies in 18 months but the scope kept shrinking, that’s ego management, not progression.”

5. Always signalling availability
   Being permanently “open to work” can work against candidates. Recruiters read it as a lack of focus or selectivity.

Harris says that constant availability can actually work against you.

6. Leaving roles badly and making it public
   Public criticism of former employers or dramatic exits is now seen as poor judgment. Recruiters assume the behaviour will repeat.

“All it really shows is poor emotional regulation and an inability to navigate difficult situations professionally.”

What recruiters are actually looking for

Harris says the key test is coherence. Can a candidate explain their choices without sounding defensive or rushed?

He adds: “What recruiters and hiring managers are looking for in 2026 isn’t constant motion. It’s coherence.”

The advice is to slow down, make fewer moves, and be clear about why you made them.

“Movement without direction just looks like panic.”

• Recruitment expert explains why once-valued CV skills like MS Office proficiency and typing speed are no longer impressing employers
• The shift includes moving away from basic tech skills, generic phrases like “team player”, and social media familiarity towards data literacy
• Expert reveals how jobseekers can modernise their CVs to align with skills-based hiring methods now adopted by 92% of UK employers

The job market has changed over the past decade with recruiters focusing more on proven abilities than credentials.

The CV skills that once guaranteed you an interview, like listing your typing speed or proclaiming yourself a “team player’, now barely register with recruiters in 2026.

This transition shows an unignorable change in workplace expectations. With 92% of UK employers now adopting skills-based hiring methods to build high-performance teams, according to Hays, the emphasis has moved from what qualifications you hold to what you can actually do.

Aaron Conway, director at Ronin Management PTE, a Singapore-based consultancy specialising in digital visibility and AI-driven optimisation, has worked with numerous professionals updating their approach to job applications.

He says that jobseekers are frequently yet unknowingly sabotaging their chances by highlighting skills that recruiters now consider basic expectations rather than competitive advantages.

Below, Conway lists the skills that have lost their shine and reveals what modern employers are actually looking for as we move into 2026.

The Skills Recruiters No Longer Care About in Your CV in 2026

1. MS Office Proficiency

Twenty years ago, being able to navigate Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint was a legitimate selling point. Today, it’s assumed you can handle these basics. They’re the digital equivalent of being able to use a telephone.

“Listing ‘proficient in MS Office’ on your CV in 2025 is like saying you know how to send an email,” says Conway. “These tools are so embedded in everyday work life that recruiters expect everyone to have functional knowledge. What they want to see is what you’ve achieved using these tools, not that you can simply open them.”

2. Typing Speed

In the era of typewriters and early computers, typing 60 words per minute was impressive. Now, with most professionals spending their entire workday at a keyboard, basic typing competency is a given rather than a specialty.

The exception? Roles specifically requiring transcription or data entry work. For everyone else, your typing speed is about as relevant as your handwriting.

3. Social Media Familiarity

Simply stating you’re “familiar with social media” or listing platforms you use personally no longer carries weight. With billions of people worldwide using Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn daily, basic social media literacy is universal.

“Recruiters see ‘experienced with social media’ and think ‘so you scroll through Instagram like everyone else?’” Conway explains. “What matters now is whether you understand analytics, audience engagement strategies, or content performance metrics, i.e. skills that demonstrate business value rather than personal use.”

4. Generic Phrases Like “Team Player” or “Hard Worker”

These overused descriptors have become meaningless through repetition. Every CV claims these qualities, which makes them ineffective differentiators.

“When everyone says they’re a hard worker and team player, the phrases become white noise,” says Conway. “Recruiters want concrete examples: ‘Led cross-functional team of 8 to deliver project 3 weeks ahead of schedule’ tells them far more than any generic claim ever could.”

What Modern Employers Want Instead

1. Critical Thinking

The ability to analyse complex problems, evaluate information from multiple sources, and make sound decisions is now highly prized. Automation handles routine tasks, leaving humans to tackle challenges requiring nuanced judgment.

“Businesses need people who can spot problems before they escalate, question assumptions, and propose innovative solutions,” Conway notes. “This isn’t something you can automate away. It’s distinctly human value.”

Demonstrate this skill by showcasing examples where you’ve identified inefficiencies, challenged existing processes, or developed new approaches that delivered measurable improvements.

2. AI-Assisted Productivity

While basic digital skills are expected, knowing how to leverage AI tools effectively is the new competitive advantage. This includes using AI for research, content creation, data analysis, or process automation.

“The professionals succeeding now aren’t those competing against AI. They’re the ones using AI to multiply their output and impact,” says Conway. “Whether it’s using ChatGPT to draft communications faster, employing AI tools for market research, or automating repetitive tasks, this fluency matters.”

3. Data Literacy

Understanding how to interpret data, draw insights, and communicate findings has become valuable across nearly every role, not just for analysts or data scientists.

Conway emphasises this change: “You don’t need to be a statistician, but you should be comfortable reading reports, understanding what metrics mean for your business, and making data-informed decisions rather than relying purely on intuition.”

This includes basic competency with analytics platforms, understanding key performance indicators relevant to your field, and the ability to present data clearly to stakeholders.

4. Communication Nuance

Modern work requires more sophisticated communication than ever before. This means adapting your message for different audiences, conveying complex ideas clearly, and navigating cultural and generational differences in remote or hybrid environments.

“It’s not enough to say you have ‘excellent communication skills’,” Conway explains. “Can you explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders? Do you know how to deliver difficult feedback constructively? Can you build consensus across departments with competing priorities? That’s the communication skill employers value.”

How to Update Your CV

Rather than listing outdated skills in your CV, Conway recommends focusing on achievements that demonstrate valuable capabilities to grab recruiters attention in 2026.

Replace “Proficient in MS Office” with “Developed Excel dashboard reducing monthly reporting time by 40%.” Swap “Team player” for specific examples of successful collaboration with measurable outcomes.

Most importantly, research what AI platforms say about your industry and role. If your skills and experience aren’t appearing where potential employers are asking AI for recommendations, you’re missing opportunities in the emerging search economy.

This revealed a marginal increase of 0.1% points compared to the same period last year.

The latest data, derived from the Nigeria Labour Force Survey (NLFS), revealed contrasting trends in unemployment across demographics, regions, and educational backgrounds. 

Men recorded a lower unemployment rate of 3.4%, while women faced a higher rate of 5.1%, disclosing gender disparities in job accessibility.

Urban centres were hit harder than rural areas, with unemployment in cities rising to 5.2% compared to a much lower 2.8% in rural regions. 

These differences point to the role of agriculture and informal sectors in rural employment, while urban areas continue to struggle with higher reliance on formal job markets.

Youth unemployment, specifically among individuals aged 15 to 24, showed improvement, dropping to 6.5% from 8.4% in the first quarter of 2024. This decline implies some success in initiatives aimed at addressing youth joblessness, although challenges remain in sustaining this progress.

Education and Employment Trends

Nigeria’s unemployment rate also varied significantly by educational attainment. Individuals with upper secondary education faced the highest unemployment at 8.5%, followed by those with lower secondary education at 5.8%. 

Surprisingly, those with only primary education recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 2.8%, suggesting that skill mismatches in the job market might be a factor.

On the other hand, those with post-secondary education fared better, with a comparatively lower unemployment rate of 4.8%. This trend reinforces the importance of tailoring education to meet labour market demands.

Labour Market Dynamics

The labour force participation rate—a measure of the working-age population actively engaged in the labour market—rose to 79.5% in Q2 2024. 

Rural areas led this metric with an 83.2% participation rate, compared to 77.2% in urban areas. Gender disparities were minimal, with male participation at 79.9% and female participation at 79.1%.

The employment-to-population ratio also saw an increase, climbing to 76.1% from 73.1% in Q1 2024. Rural areas again outperformed urban centres in this metric, with employment rates of 80.8% and 73.2%, respectively.

Self-Employment Remains Dominant

Self-employment accounted for an overwhelming 85.6% of total employment, up from 84% in Q1 2023 — informal work in Nigeria’s economy tops. 

The rural self-employment rate stood at 94.3%, compared to 79.7% in urban areas. Women were more likely to be self-employed, with a rate of 88.3% compared to 82.2% for men.

Meanwhile, the share of employees in the labour force declined to 14.4%, emphasising the limited availability of formal employment opportunities.

While the slight increase in unemployment is a challenge, improvements in youth employment and labour force participation provide a silver lining. 

However, the continuous gender gap and urban-rural disparities call for targeted interventions to create a more equitable labour market. 

The reign of self-employment and informal work points to the urgent need to expand formal job opportunities to stabilise Nigeria’s workforce and drive sustainable economic growth.

Also, ensuring education and training align with market needs will be necessary in tackling unemployment and enabling long-term progress.