Middle Management Jobs Are Disappearing—Four Ways To Improve Your Job Search Prospects

Middle management jobs are disappearing due to juniorization, a phrase that first came out of Wall Street for the practice of replacing senior traders and salespeople with younger, less expensive talent. It’s not just Wall Street, however. Juniorization is happening in different industries and has been called out in posts by CBS Marketwatch, HR solutions firm Datis and search firm CEO and fellow Forbes contributor, Jack Kelly.

If you are in your late 30s, 40s and 50s, you are in those middle management ranks, where jobs are going away. If you are currently employed, stay indispensable to your employer to maximize your chances of keeping that job (use this five-point checklist to gauge how valuable you are). However, even indispensable employees can be cut if the company shuts down your line of business or relocates your role elsewhere. If you are unemployed (or employed and looking to play defense), you need to navigate the juniorization trend and find work in a shrinking job pool.

Here are four ways to improve your job search prospects if you are a middle manager in your 30s, 40s and 50s:

1. Focus on being a more competitive candidate

Middle management jobs are decreasing but will not disappear altogether. There will always be companies that have layers in-between the most senior executives and the most junior staff. There might be fewer layers and/or fewer people in each of those layers, but there will be some middle management jobs.

Therefore, it’s still beneficial for you to shore up your job search technique. With more candidates vying for fewer openings, you have to be a more competitive candidate. Companies can be even more selective—here are five ways companies evaluate candidates even before interviews start. So, do your research, know how to interview, stay on top of your hiring process and learn to negotiate for the best offer possible because you don’t want to be on the job hunt too often.

2. Target roles that aren’t middle management

If the middle layer is disappearing, this means you want to focus on other levels or roles. Consider executive roles at smaller companies. These employers may be looking for your big company experience. Your will need to demonstrate that you can make the transition—from big to small and from middle manager to executive.

Conversely, you can step out of managing and back into an individual contributor role. You can have career growth without having to be a manager. You can also still make good money, especially if your role impacts the bottom line, such as sales, fundraising or other form of generating revenue. Unique technical skills, such as financial analysis or computer skills, and expertise in an emerging field, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence or data analytics, can also provide you a good living, even when you are not managing anyone.

3. Embrace entrepreneurship and make your own opportunities

With freelancing jobs increasing, and middle management jobs decreasing, you can expand your opportunities by opting for entrepreneurship over traditional employment. One benefit of creating your own opportunities is that you can carve out the parts of your job that you love and have a special talent for. Another benefit is that freelancers also report higher levels of job satisfaction. If you are currently employed and there is no conflict with your current company, you might start freelancing on the side now as a defensive move (though a side business can also benefit your career directly).

4. Pursue alternative sources of income and decrease reliance on a job

Your job is one source of income, but doesn’t have to be the only one. You could save and eventually accumulate enough assets to cover your living expenses. Or you might invest in real estate that pays you rental income each month. Or the side business you start to test out freelancing grows to an extent that you can leave your 9-5 job for more flexible work. Or it could be a combination of all of these—multiple sources of income is a key financial trait of the wealthy.

There is growing interest in FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), and people who achieve FIRE don’t necessarily stop working. Achieving FIRE requires developing alternative income streams to a job. In this way, pursuing FIRE is a hedge against unemployment and the decrease in middle management jobs.

You have options to secure a career that you love

You can stay in traditional employment and focus on being more competitive or on jobs outside middle management. You can build a business or establish other streams of income. Within each of these choices are even more choices on what specific jobs or businesses to target. One part of the market may be shrinking, but there are other avenues to pursue. Don’t let a doom and gloom prognosis distract you from creating a body of work that you love.