Finding a job can feel like a full-time job in itself, and around the world, high unemployment rates are making it even harder for the unemployed to get back into work. But that’s where employment advisors step in to help.

Yes, there’s a job specifically for helping people through their career journey and yes, it’s a bit more complicated than it sounds.

“Serving as intermediaries between job seekers, organisations, and hiring businesses, employment advisors play a pivotal role in guiding unemployed people towards suitable job opportunities,” explains Palladium’s Whitney van Schyndel. “At the same time, they know their markets, which means they can tailor the way they work to the people and businesses they’re helping.”

Like most societal challenges, solving unemployment won’t be achieved with a one-size-fits-all solution; instead it requires a highly local approach that considers job hunters’ needs, their particular set of skills, and the context in which they’re working.

“We see how this works firsthand through our programs addressing unemployment,” adds van Schyndel, “in particular through the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) and the UK Restart Scheme.”

The Netherlands-funded CFYE works to create, match, and improve 230,000 jobs for young men and women across 11 countries in Africa and the Middle East. In England and Wales, the Restart Scheme provides employability support and interventions for jobseekers who have been out of a job for more than 6 months.

Despite their distinct geographic and demographic scopes, both programs have had success tackling unemployment through localised and context-specific strategies.

And they have one major strategy in common: employment advisors.

“Not only do advisors provide invaluable counsel to vulnerable individuals, equipping them with the skills to stand out in the job market, but they also keep an eye on labour market and hiring trends in their specific context,” she adds.

Mohamed and Isaac

Meet Mohamed Hamdani. He’s been with GoMyCode – a CFYE Implementing Partner and tech-training provider based in Tunis – for nearly two years. Starting as the first career advisor for the Tunisian Market and now serving as the Career Department Manager as the business expanded across the Middle East and Africa, he has been instrumental in connecting young Tunisian trainees to jobs in the digital and tech space.

As the only career advisor in GoMyCode, Mohamed had to build the career service department from the ground up. He began by conducting surveys to understand his trainees’ needs and then looked to match candidates’ skills to the demand side of Tunisia’s labour market.

Over 3,000km away at the Restart offices in Southampton, Isaac Herman has been similarly impactful in and around Hampshire, UK, as an employment advisor. Like Mohamed, Isaac’s ability to build strong connections bridges the gap between hiring companies and employees.

Isaac’s candidates often have long periods of unemployment, gaps in their CVs, come from disadvantaged backgrounds, are ex-offenders and/or lack important skills to navigate the UK’s labor market.

Isaac’s role is to make sense of these situations, help candidates understand their circumstances, and assist them in aligning their CVs to relevant job opportunities, using a mix of experience in the field, creativity and human touch. For Isaac, this often involves having conversations to identify transferable skills and job preferences, with extra attention to addressing potential issues such as caring for family, justifying career breaks, or upskilling needs.

Both Isaac and Mohamed stress a firm belief in the power of humanity and soft skills. “While hard skills are easier to acquire through study and practice, soft skills require continuous training and real-world experience,” says Mohamed. Indeed, soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are what truly set candidates apart in the job market.

For youth and more vulnerable job seekers, much of the two advisors’ jobs consist of helping them to understand the value of their soft skills and showcase them effectively.

Restart also partners with organisations that offer opportunities for upskilling, providing a full cycle of support to match job offers from employers with the right candidates. As part of a team of 15 advisors, Isaac works tirelessly to tailor vacancies, connects employers with their pool of candidates, and builds strong relationships based on transparency and trust.

In Tunisia, Mohamed does the same – establishing contact and partnerships with local and regional companies and startups to find potential opportunities for GoMyCode’s young graduates and trainees. Through job fairs and continuous networking, he creates a bridge between job seekers and potential employers, and to get GoMyCode and its trainees known across and beyond the continent.

Isaac’s work at Restart exemplifies the scheme’s commitment to helping long-term unemployed people back to work, crafting resumes, preparing for interviews, and building confidence after extended periods without a job. In a different context, but with similar results, Mohamed is shaping partnerships between education and the private sector, building ties within the Tunisian job market that would have not otherwise been created.

“Their experiences serve as a testament that securing employment is not only about having the right know-how or abilities.” says van Schyndel. “It is about acknowledging our unique attributes and understanding that our ‘human’ skills are our best-selling point.”

CFYE is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and managed by Palladium, VSO, and Randstad NL. Restart is a UK Department for Work and Pensions program which Palladium delivers as a subcontractor to Fedcap in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.