I never expected this

How to get a job in 2026, straight from a UK recruiter who has interviewed over 1,000 grads. I sat down with Tito (@teets.x), one of the most followed recruiter accounts in the UK, to ask all of your job search questions. If you're applying for hundreds of jobs and not hearing back, stuck in a stopgap job after uni, or trying to make a career change, this one is for you.We cover whether AI or a real human reads your CV, the CV mistakes recruiters are sick of seeing, the interview mistakes she sees all the time, and how to use LinkedIn DMs and referrals to get your foot in the door. Plus a rapid fire round: ask for a raise or leave for one, virtual vs in person interviews, and the biggest red flag in a candidate.In this video you'll learn:→ How the 2026 job market compares to 2020 (and why it feels harder for grads)→ How to make an intentional career pivot into a new industry→ CV tips from a recruiter: what to cut and what to add→ Interview tips to stop rambling and stand out→ How to message people on LinkedIn so they actually reply→ How to AI-proof your careerTIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro0:40 How did you end up in recruitment?2:25 The 2026 job market vs 20203:42 Stuck in a stopgap job after uni?5:01 How to make an intentional career pivot7:09 Does AI or a human read your CV? (ATS explained)9:16 CV mistakes recruiters are sick of seeing11:32 Does a side hustle make you look bad in interviews?13:58 How to get into tech (skills recruiters look for)16:06 Interview mistakes recruiters see most18:22 What to look for in an employer20:22 Are job referrals really that powerful?22:20 Do recruiters read LinkedIn DMs?23:43 Do LinkedIn DMs actually work?25:09 How to AI-proof your career27:59 Rapid fire: raises, interview rounds and red flags33:37 Where to find Tito34:06 Final job search adviceFollow Tito for more recruiter tips:TikTok: @teets.xHey, if you're new here, I'm Christina. I quit my job as a doctor in the NHS to build a life with more meaning and freedom, and now I run a YouTube agency. I know how it feels to want a career change and not know where to start. My mission is to make people like you feel heard, seen and less alone.If this helped, subscribe for more career and job search advice, and tell me in the comments which tip you're trying first.Comment 🍒 if you made it to the end!

Guys, it’s official.I’m moving to London. And honestly, saying that out loud feels a little bit surreal. Nine months ago, I quit my job as a doctor because I wanted to build a life that actually felt like mine. Since then, I’ve started a business, had months where everything was going amazingly, months where I questioned every life decision I’d ever made, and somehow ended up here… finally moving out and doing something I’ve wanted to do for years. I’ve been thinking about moving to London for such a long time, but I never wanted my future to depend entirely on luck, job placements or where a career decided I should live. So this time, I’m choosing. Part of this move is practical. I want to network more, meet other founders, grow my business, attend more events and put myself in rooms I currently have to travel five hours to reach. But lowkey, I think the bigger reason is that I need to learn how actually to live. I know how to work hard. I know how to achieve things. Give me a goal, and I will probably find a way to hit it. What I’m terrible at is switching off.Having fun.Spending money without feeling guilty. Going somewhere just because I want to. And I think moving to London might force me out of the little bubble I’ve built for myself. Of course, I’m nervous too. London is expensive. I’m thinking about selling my car. I’m worried about loneliness. I’m worried about whether the business will stay stable enough. A few weeks ago, I was literally considering going back to a 9-to-5 because one client leaving completely stressed me out. But maybe that’s the point. Sometimes you can’t think your way into knowing whether something is the right decision. You just have to do it. And if I hate it? I’ll come back. But I’d rather move, try, and find out than spend another year wondering what would have happened if I had just gone.CHAPTERS:0:00 — I’m Moving to London 1:04 — Why I Quit Medicine 1:57 — Why I’m Actually Moving 3:05 — Living at Home at 25 4:05 — Can I Afford to Move Out? 4:43 — What I’m Most Excited About 5:24 — Why I Need to Start Living More 7:08 — The Life I Want in London 8:25 — Networking, LinkedIn & New Opportunities 9:52 — What I’m Nervous About 11:23 — I’m Selling My Car 12:14 — Is London Actually Lonely? 13:52 — Why AI Is Part of My Decision 16:46 — My Biggest Goal in London 19:16 — I Nearly Gave Up on My Business 21:36 — Why Networking Matters So Much 22:00 — What If I Regret Moving? 23:17 — Why I’m Doing It Anyway. So I’m curious: Is there something in your life you’ve been trying to think your way through… when maybe you just need to try it and see what happens?🎀 Become a LinkedIn Baddie (upgrade your profile in 10 mins)https://profilefix.christina-aaliyah.com/?src=youtubeCozy Meet Ups w/ our communityLondon → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/meetManchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/manchester🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/newsletter💌 contact: [email protected]

Get 25% Off Cowboy Colostrum with code ChristinaAaliyah athttps://cowboycolostrum.com/christinaaaliyah.TIMESTAMPS0:00 your job is not your purpose1:30 purpose is too much responsibility for an employer3:30 the job market is unpredictable6:14 playing the status games13:13 overcoming your sense of control16:14 generalists are the futureLinkedIn Accelerator (50% off for the first 100 people): https://join.christina-aaliyah.com/c/linkedin-source-youtubecomment a 🍒 if you want a full video on growing on social media

I used to think becoming a full-time content creator was the obvious end goal.Build an audience. Get brand deals. Quit your job. Make money online. Freedom.But the longer I’ve been doing this, the more I’ve realised that making content your ONLY source of income can actually take away some of the freedom that made creating fun in the first place.Today, I filmed $9,550 worth of content in around two hours. Which sounds ridiculous. And trust me, I’m incredibly grateful.But it also made me think about the side of content creation that people rarely show you.Because once your livelihood depends on views, sponsorships and brand deals, saying “no” becomes harder. Suddenly, every video has to perform. Every opportunity feels like money you can’t afford to turn down. And sometimes the companies offering the most money aren’t necessarily the companies you actually want to recommend to your audience.Honestly, I think having income outside of content has given me more creative freedom, not less.It means I can say no.I can post something because I actually want to talk about it.And I don’t have to turn every part of my life into a product just because the algorithm needs feeding.So no, I don’t think everyone should become a full-time content creator.Sometimes keeping content as one part of your career might actually be the thing that allows you to enjoy it for longer.Chapters 0:00 - Intro2:44 - No room to grow4:54 - Bending your morals7:11 - Individuality is not rewarded8:19 - You have very little control10:05 - Censor yourself11:56 - What the 1% do🎀 Become a LinkedIn Baddie (upgrade your profile in 10 mins)https://profilefix.christina-aaliyah.com/?src=youtubeCozy Meet Ups w/ our communityLondon → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/meetManchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/manchester🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/newsletter💌 contact: [email protected]

🎟️ Upgrade your linkedin profile in 10 minutes → https://profilefix.christina-aaliyah.com/I genuinely never thought posting silly little videos online would put me in rooms like this.This video is a bit different from what I normally post, but I recently got invited to an Apple event (eek!) and stayed in a 5-star hotel, tried out new tech, met some incredible creators, and honestly… the whole experience messed with my head a little bit. In a good way.I’m someone who works constantly. I’m always thinking about the next thing, the next client, the next video, the next goal. I’m terrible at switching off.So being forced to slow down for one night made me realise how rarely I actually stop and look at how far I’ve come.A few years ago, I was working in the NHS, completely burnt out, making YouTube videos on the side because I enjoyed them. Now I’m being invited to events like this, building my own business, helping people with their careers, and somehow having conversations about whether I should become a full-time content creator.Which still feels insane to even type.I also talk about why I genuinely think everyone should have a side hustle. Not because you need to hustle 24/7, but because having something outside your job can give you options, confidence, skills, and sometimes just the hope that your current situation isn’t forever.Lowkey, that hope is what helped me leave medicine.This trip also made me realise something else: I am really bad at rewarding myself.I’ll work myself into the ground and then think buying a coffee counts as a treat. But what is the point of working this hard if you never actually enjoy any of it?So this video is part vlog, part career crisis, part life update, and part reminder to just start the thing you keep thinking about.The blog. The business. The TikTok. The YouTube channel. The side hustle. Whatever it is.Because honestly, you have no idea where it might take you.What’s something you’ve been putting off because you don’t feel “ready” yet?Cozy Meet Ups w/ our communityLondon → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/meetManchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/manchester🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/newsletter💌 contact: [email protected]

I ask my mum for dating advice all the time, so honestly, it felt slightly selfish not to bring her on here and let you guys ask her questions too.She got married at 22, divorced, spent years as a single mum, dated for decades, and eventually found a relationship that looks completely different from what she thought her “type” would be.So, safe to say, she has STORIES.We talk about dating red flags, how to know when someone actually likes you, why someone’s actions matter more than what they promise you, and why having a “type” might lowkey be keeping you away from the person who is actually right for you.One thing that really stuck with me was her advice to stop making excuses for behaviour that goes against your core values. Because sometimes we spend so much time wondering, “Am I overreacting?” when the better question might be, “Is this actually acceptable to me?”We also get into how to get over someone you can’t have, decentering men without completely giving up on dating, healing before dating, anxious vs. avoidant attachment, whether you should sleep with someone on the first date, when to define the relationship, and the whole instant spark vs. slow burn debate.This is basically dating advice for women in their 20s from someone who has actually lived through marriage, divorce, heartbreak, single motherhood, dating apps, bad dates, and eventually finding a healthy relationship.Real talk, I think a lot of us are trying so hard to find the “right person” that we forget to ask whether we even know what the right relationship should feel like.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 — Intro 1:46 — Why My Mum Gives Me Dating Advice 2:29 — Getting Married at 22 3:00 — Falling in Love With Potential vs. Reality 4:59 — Dating Advice for Men 6:01 — Red Flags vs. Normal Flaws 7:37 — Should You Give Them Another Chance? 8:28 — Why You Need to Actually Date 9:19 — How Do You Know Someone Is Right for You? 10:43 — Why Your “Type” Might Be Wrong for You 13:13 — What Makes a Man Attractive? 14:31 — How to Get Over Someone You Can’t Have 15:19 — Should Women Decenter Men? 16:50 — Why My Mum Only Had One Child 18:03 — When Is the Right Time to Have Kids? 19:39 — You Cannot Change a Man 20:29 — Why Do We Try to Change People? 21:32 — Dating Again After Rejection or Heartbreak 22:46 — Rapid-Fire Dating Questions 23:43 — Sex on the First Date? 25:00 — Staying Friends With Your Ex 25:39 — When Should You Define the Relationship? 26:03 — Instant Spark vs. Slow Burn 26:58 — Being Desired vs. Being Understood 27:09 — Healing Before Dating vs. Healing Through Dating 27:52 — Anxious vs. Avoidant Attachment 28:15 — Final ThoughtsSo I’m curious: Are you dating based on what you genuinely need… or based on the person you always imagined you would end up with?UK 🇬🇧Samaritans 24/7 emotional support for anyone in distress Call 116 123 https://www.samaritans.org Shout Free, confidential 24/7 text suppotText SHOUT to 85258 https://giveusashout.org Mind Mental health info and support line for England and Wales https://www.mind.org.uk US 🇺🇸Crisis Text Line Free 24/7 text support, text HOME to 741741 https://www.crisistextline.org NAMI Helpline Info, referrals, and support for mental health concerns, 1-800-950-6264 — https://www.nami.org 📖 Read Attached Here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Attached-Identify-attachment-style-perfect-ebook/dp/B0050CJNJC🎟️ Become a LinkedIn Baddie (Join the waitlist) https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/linkedinwaitlist?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description👯 Cozy Meet Ups w/ our community London → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/meetManchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/manchester🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/newsletter💌 contact: [email protected]

If you hate your job but have absolutely no idea what to do next, this video is for you.I spent £87,000 and five years in medical school for what I thought was my dream career, only to realise about 18 months into working as a doctor that I could not see myself doing it long term. That was a very expensive identity crisis.And honestly, I think a lot of people know they want to leave their job before they actually understand why.So in this video, I break it down into four things: pay, pressure, people, and purpose.Because sometimes you do not need to completely change your life. Maybe you need to negotiate your salary. Maybe you need a side hustle. Maybe your job is fine, but your boundaries are terrible. Maybe your coworkers are draining you. Or maybe you keep expecting your career to give you all the meaning that is missing from the rest of your life.Lowkey, I think that distinction matters.I also talk about what actually helped me leave medicine: building skills outside my job, becoming more visible on LinkedIn, creating financial independence, and slowly getting to a point where I had options instead of feeling trapped.Real talk, quitting is not always the answer.But neither is staying somewhere that is making you miserable just because you have no plan.TIMESTAMPS:02:13 — You’re Not Paid Enough08:20 — You’re Burnt Out14:56 — The People Are the Problem19:54 — Your Job Feels Meaningless.So if you are trying to figure out what to do with your life, what career to choose, whether to quit your job, how to find purpose in your career, or how to make more money without starting over completely, hopefully this gives you a clearer place to start.What if the problem is not that you chose the wrong career… but that you have not figured out which part of it is actually making you unhappy?🎟️ Become a LinkedIn Baddie (Join the waitlist) https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/linkedinwaitlist?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=descriptionCozy Meet Ups w/ our community London → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/meet Manchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/manchester🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/newsletter💌 contact: [email protected]

check out Comu Action Pro!use code：CHRISTINA66 for an early bird discount!Amazon：https://amzn.to/4gwWqJXWebsite：https://bit.ly/4A6U0urUK：https://amzn.to/4hV0mGVso i've been using comu action pro for a while now and honestly it's changed how i work.i used to spend so much time transcribing videos, writing summaries, organizing everything manually.it was draining.i'd finish editing and think "oh god now i have to do all the admin work."comu action pro literally does that for you.unlimited live transcription, ai summaries, everything organized. and you only pay once. that's it. lifetime access.➜ get $10 off right now (only $169.99 at checkout, up to £11 off in the uk) ➜ lifetime value → you literally pay once! ➜ 100% privacy compliant (gdpr, hipaa, soc 2) ➜ 12 month warranty + lifetime supportI have genuinely had enough rejection to last me until 2028.The past month has humbled me. Dating rejection. Work rejection. Getting left on read. Speed dating and somehow leaving with zero matches. At one point, I genuinely started questioning my makeup, hair, clothes… everything.That’s the thing about rejection. When the “no’s” start piling up, it becomes really easy to make them mean something about you.I’m 25 and I’ve never had a proper relationship. For a long time, I thought having a boyfriend would finally prove that I was attractive or desirable. But honestly, I’ve realised I didn’t always want the relationship itself. I wanted the reassurance I thought it would give me.Your relationship status is just your relationship status. Someone rejecting you doesn’t change your value.Real talk, putting yourself out there means sometimes getting hurt. But avoiding rejection completely might cost you even more.Maybe you don’t need to become immune to rejection. Maybe you just need enough evidence that you can survive it.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Intro01:03 — Sponsor03:01 — The DM Saga04:47 — The Rejection Spiral06:05 — Client Challenges08:09 — Speed Dating14:53 — Thoughts on RejectionAre you afraid of rejection… or what you’ll make it mean about you?Cozy Meet Ups w/ our communityLondon → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.c...Manchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.c...🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.c...💌 contact: [email protected]

🎟️ Become a LinkedIn Baddie (Join the waitlist) https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/linkedinwaitlist?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=descriptionIf you’re constantly choosing between disappointing other people and disappointing yourself, honestly, this video is for you. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently because I’m 25, I’m planning to move to London, five hours away from my mum, and for probably the first time in my life, I’ve really felt that tug between what I want and what the people I love might prefer for me. And lowkey, I think learning how to disappoint people might be one of the most important parts of growing up. I’ve done it with my career too. I went to medical school because I wanted to. Then I eventually quit being a doctor, even though I knew my dad didn’t necessarily understand the decision. I spent so long weighing the pros and cons, and I genuinely reached the point where I knew my life would be worse if I stayed in medicine. That sounds dramatic, but it was true for me. This isn’t about becoming selfish or ignoring everyone’s advice. Real talk, sometimes your parents are right. Sometimes you genuinely do not know as much as you think you do. But there’s a difference between listening to people who love you and building your entire life around the fear of disappointing them. Especially if you’re trying to figure out how to stop people pleasing, how to set boundaries with family, how to stop caring what your parents think about your career, or how to choose yourself without feeling guilty. Working in healthcare also changed how I see all of this. Seeing young people suddenly become seriously unwell made me realise how unbelievably short and unpredictable life can be. It made me question why I was playing small just to keep everyone comfortable. Now I keep coming back to one question: Can I keep living like this? I asked it when I wanted to leave medicine. I’m asking it again while moving out of my small hometown and starting a new chapter. Honestly, every time I answer it truthfully, my life moves a little closer to something that actually feels like mine. So maybe the question isn’t, “Who will I disappoint if I choose myself?”Maybe it’s: How long are you willing to disappoint yourself instead?Cozy Meet Ups w/ our communityLondon → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/meetManchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/manchester🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/newsletter💌 contact: [email protected]

🎟️ Become a LinkedIn Baddie (Join the waitlist) https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/linkedinwaitlist?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=descriptioni spent years chasing this concept called ikigai. that concept where the four circles that overlap- something that pays you - something you're good at- something the world needs- something you love. i was convinced that if i could just find where all four circles met, my life would be perfect.so naturally as a type A, overahieving girlie i became a doctor. i checked all the boxes. i had my ikigai. but i very quickly realised, this was NOT my life's purpose because finding your purpose doesn't actually fix everything like everyone says it does.just because you do what you love doesn't mean the rest of your life is going to be perfect. you can be good at your job, get paid well, help people who need you, and still hate it. because there's always going to be deadlines you don't like, colleagues that drain you, pressure that weighs you down, and sacrifice that costs more than you expected.this video is about how we're thinking about purpose completely wrong. we're told to find our ikigai and everything will fall into place. i think what we actually need is meaning. purpose is what so manny people chase but meaning is the small moments that give you a real sense of fulfillment. a conversation with someone that actually mattered. helping someone when they needed it. connecting with a friend. those tiny ingredients that make life feel worth living. that's what gave me the idea for The Kitchen Theoryi didn't realize until i quit: life is always going to be stressful. there's always going to be something to worry about. you're always going to have ups and downs. so instead of waiting for the stress to end, instead of waiting for the perfect job to fix everything, maybe the answer is learning how to find joy in the midst of the chaos.i spent so many years counting down. counting down to sixth form, to university, to graduation, to becoming a doctor, to quitting my job. always waiting for the next thing to finally make me feel relieved. and it took me quitting to realize i was missing my actual life while i was waiting for it to start.but what do you thinkdo you have a purpose?or are you just finding ways to make life feel more meaningful?0:00 Intro2:08 Your Job =/= Ikigai7:22 The Kitchen Theory11:07 My PurposeCozy Meet Ups w/ our communityLondon → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/meetManchester → https://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/manchester🌱 sign up to my newsletterhttps://christina-aaliyah.myflodesk.com/newsletter💌 contact: [email protected]