With years of experience placing top talent in Australia’s most sought-after roles, Founder & Director of Agency Iceberg, Anna O’Dea, knows what it takes to stand out in a competitive job market. Specialising in creative industries and global agencies, she’s all about connecting the right people with the right opportunities.
We spoke with Anna to gain her expert insights into the Australian job market in 2025, uncovering her top tips for standing out, navigating industry trends, and finding success in a competitive landscape.
For those thinking about changing roles or getting back into work in 2025, what’s the smartest way to get started and stand out when opportunities feel limited?
Firstly, be confident in yourself and your experience. If you apply to a role online and can see that there have already been 100+ applicants, still apply! The HR Manager may still be looking for their unicorn and wading through a high volume of applications.
Also, if the Hiring/HR Manager’s name is listed on the advert, I would be connecting with them on LinkedIn to politely introduce myself.
Research! If you’re applying to a job ad, research the company! What do they focus on? Or care about? What are they posting on socials? Then, tailor your CV to reflect this.
For example, if you are applying to a marketing role with MECCA it would be smart to highlight any beauty brands, beauty influencers or beauty campaigns that you have worked on that would be relevant to the role with MECCA.
If you don’t have any experience working in beauty – that’s okay – don’t lie and add information that isn’t true. You may not be suited to this particular job, however, HR might see that you have expertise that could be relevant for another role that they are hiring.
Add in the accomplishments that you have achieved! So many CVs will only list ‘key responsibilities’, when in fact, the reader might be more interested in the growth/revenue/results that you have achieved for various client campaigns. Or, if you’ve grown a client’s social following from 10 to 1 million! How did you do it? What impact has this had on the business? Think in money terms!
Attention to detail is also key. Sending a cover letter that reads “Dear Kenny at Origin Energy” will not impress me. Take your time to tailor your CV to the right person.
Finally, if you’ve been “job-hopping” for the past five years, list the reasons why. I shouldn’t have to call you to understand why you’ve had ten jobs in three years. List the reasons, to avoid any concern. These could include; maternity leave, travel, redundancy, Working Holiday VISA, and contract or freelance opportunities.
What industries or roles are showing resilience or growth in Australia despite the difficult economic climate?
Agency Iceberg specifically revolves around advertising, marketing, PR, events and digital sectors, and digital has absolutely been the standout industry with huge growth! Jobs in social media, content creation, paid media, social strategy, and influencer management are becoming very popular and in demand.
Property (commercial) and healthcare (pharma) have also been a client sector with huge growth. The demand for Talent in 2024 within PR and marketing who have expertise in these two client sectors has been enormous.
During periods of unemployment, or while biding time in a role before finding something new, what are some practical ways to upskill and boost your chances in a competitive job market?
Learn, learn, learn! There are fantastic resources online for talent who are looking to upskill in a short period. This could also boost your chances of securing a job in a specific field.
RMIT has super 6-10 week (online + remote) courses for anyone looking to upskill in digital leadership, social and content management, brand and content marketing, digital strategy, AI in marketing and eComm strategy.
General Assembly also offers short (and remote) courses for talent looking to upskill in social media, UX, data and tech.
Building connections can be so important when jobs are hard to come by. What are some cost-effective ways to network or find a mentor?
LinkedIn is a fab (free) resource to use for connecting and building your professional network. My advice would be to tailor a message to any connection that you invite – be polite and ensure your page is professional (no selfies, jobs listed that are not relevant to the industry you work in, or personal blogs listed that could be seen as offensive).
Another way to elevate your job game and remain fresh is to find a mentor. While this can be a job in itself, you want to ensure you are unearthing someone with credible experience who will not charge above your budget for their services.
Mentors can charge anywhere from $100-$1,000 per hour for their time, so figure out your sweet spot.
Personally, I would write a post on my LinkedIn or Facebook page and ask for a referral to a mentor with relevant experience, and research it from there.
For more advice from Anna O’Dea, connect on LinkedIn where she frequently shares her honest expert advice on the job market. You can also sign up to the Agency Iceberg newsletter for the latest job openings.
