Colorado expert has advice for young professionals to land their next job: "It's a full-contact sport"

We know many Coloradans are struggling to find employment right now. The reason why is apparent: The latest U.S. Jobs Report, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is weak, with the current unemployment rate ticking up to 4.4%. Our economy also lost 92,000 jobs in February. 

Young job seekers in particular are feeling the brunt of it as they're trying to make ends meet, including Diego Woodward.

Meticulously looking over his resume on a recent morning, Woodward said he's determined to secure his next job. After months of post-graduation searching and hearing "no" from employers, it hasn't come easy.

"You get in your head a little bit. Clearly, I was qualified. Is there something I did? It's frustrating and demoralizing," Woodward said. That's why he's strategizing his next steps. He's working with Andrew Hudson, President and CEO of Andrew Hudson's Jobs List.

"The jobs list was originally a pay-it-forward hobby," said Hudson. "People would send me jobs, and I would email them out to a massive network that I had created. Every week, new jobs would come out, and people would send me their names and companies would send me the jobs, and I would send them out via email. Eventually, it went into a full-blown website job board. We are very focused on Colorado-based jobs specifically, and we have done a great job of connecting Coloradans."

In his 24 years of operating the job board, he's never seen the job situation so dire. 

"When I started doing this full-time, it was right when the recession was hitting. We saw light and eventually came out of that. Then, we saw COVID-19. That was a huge problem, and we saw a light at the end of the tunnel, and it eventually got brighter. Right now, it's very difficult to understand what light looks like in this situation. Job seeking is a full-contact sport."

And for someone new to adult work life, that rejection can be especially tough. 

"What we're seeing is not a lack of young professional talent. What we're seeing is a lack of entry points for them," said Hudson.

So, Hudson says, Woodward's job search fatigue is normal. 

"You're sitting there thinking to yourself, 'Okay, why didn't I get that interview? Am I overqualified? Am I underqualified? Maybe I'm not as good as I thought.' Then comes this crisis of confidence or imposter syndrome. At the end of the day, job seekers aren't broken; the hiring process is broken."

There are practical ways to make yourself stand out and move forward with confidence by embracing what you uniquely contribute, Hudson encourages. "I see people changing and watering down their resumes. You've earned those talents that you bring to the table, those skills, those accomplishments, the success and promotions, all of that. It's about action-oriented things that you've done. How do you operate, and what are the unique strengths that only you bring to a job?"

Hudson also says good old-fashioned networking is always beneficial. 

"There's a false understanding that you don't have any power, you're a subject of this job search. Take back your power. Do jobs appear from one networking conversation? Sometimes. But it's also about creating this top-of-mind awareness amongst people, friends, other professional associates, people in your industry that you're available."

Tune in for our documentary, "Making Ends Meet," at 6:30 p.m. on Friday on both CBS News Colorado's broadcast and stream. We'll hear stories of hard-working Coloradans managing an ever-increasing cost of living. Then, at 7 p.m. on our stream - we convene a panel of experts in housing, healthcare, education and workforce issues to discuss a way forward. CBS Colorado anchors Michael Spencer and Mekialaya White will host that community conversation.