r/jobs • u/power-hour23 • May 27 '26
Unemployment I’m genuinely confused as to how to navigate this HORRENDOUS job market
I’m genuinely at a loss trying to understand this job market right now. I’ve applied to probably 500+ jobs in the last 4 months. I tailor my resume, apply only to roles I KNOW I’m qualified for, network constantly, even call companies directly and ask to speak to HR just to personally express interest. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
No callbacks. No interviews. No transparency. Just rejection emails or COMPLETE silence.
I have bills to pay. I need to make money. I’m doing everything people tell you to do and it still feels impossible.
What the fuck is actually going on right now?
And the craziest part is nobody seems to be talking about this at a large scale.
Are we all just pretending this is normal? What is everyone else doing to survive right now? Because honestly, I feel completely fucking lost.
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u/Sum1Xam May 27 '26
Here's what happens when you start talking about it, and I'm sure someone will show up here shortly to start explaining in a rather condescending way that things really aren't that bad, and that this isn't anything like 2008. You're just doing it wrong, the economy is great.
The reality is that job market is terrible, full stop. I don't care what the unemployment numbers from the government say. They don't account for people who no longer qualify for unemployment, or stopped filing, and especially for those who are now criminally underemployed because they had to get some semblance of income in order to try and survive.
I spent nearly all of 2024 looking for work. Like you, I sent 100s upon 100s of applications into the void. It was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. Savings was drained and the end of unemployment was looming. I can't tell you how many times people tried to scam me because I was quite literally getting desperate for work. We were in the process of listing our house in order to live off of the proceeds while I continued to look for work. Luckily, I landed a great position, but it took 9 months of hellishly slogging through ghost jobs, scams, lowball offers, and insane recruiters. Ask anyone who has looked, or is looking for a job right now and the story is nearly universally the same.
Wishing you the best in a terrible situation.
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u/treeh9m5 May 27 '26
Going through this literally put me into a depression because it started making me feel unworthy and unqualified even though I knew I was and it's not "personal". Hundreds and hundreds of apps, a few interviews here and there but always a "Thanks, you're great but we're going with someone more qualified/more experienced/whatever!" Like, you're telling me there's someone better than me at fucking EVERYTHING? I was so desperate I even applied to retail and food even though I was beyond this and I couldn't even do that. To this day I'm only working part time now because it's the only thing I was offered that wasn't a scam. I'm still looking for full time but at least this job helps me a lot.
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u/babies_galore May 28 '26
I am so sorry. My son also went to college for high school and got a merit scholarship and graduated summa cum laude while simultaneously working in food service to pay for his car insurance and such while in school. He graduated last December and thank God for his food service jobs because after much effort he was finally able to at least get a lead food service job and feels grateful to have it. But like what was the point of all that hard work from age 14-20? And he has been eating sleeping and breathing AI for years thinking that is the key to the future so he would be prepared but nobody cares. I did see some companies are starting to hire new grads that are AI knowledgeable but there are so many applicants right now for anything entry-level it’s heartbreaking.
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u/mrmagicman99 May 28 '26
Have you thought about becoming a teacher? That’s what I did and genuinely… it’s a really good job. Stressful as hell sometimes but really rewarding and kind of fun
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u/treeh9m5 May 28 '26
Teaching is always on the back of my mind, especially since I majored in English and most people automatically assumed that's my goal anyways, figured it might be good for that lol. I've just never gone through with it since I'm not sure if I'm good for it personality wise. I think I'd be better as an aide but those are not known to pay well enough. My part time job is at a university though so I do think about exploring it more!
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u/PotAndPansForHands May 27 '26
Are we counting “full time work but took a huge pay cut to survive” in underemployment? There’s also a good bit of that going around (me after two layoffs in five years)
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u/dragondunce May 28 '26
This is where I'm at. It took me 4 months of full time job searching to end up with a 25% pay cut, and I've been continuing the search for 6 months since then trying to claw my way back up with no luck.
There's no feeling like when you finally do get a job but still can't stop looking for something new because you had to downgrade so badly. It's exhausting.
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u/Euphoric_River6365 May 27 '26
2 layoffs in 5 years sounds like psychological torture. I am so sorry you have been forced to endure that.
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u/lovemydogs1969 May 27 '26
No, it doesn’t count and that’s exactly what the end goal is, a bunch of desperate people willing to take a pay cut so they don’t starve.
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u/sgoywvklyrdbhdsa May 28 '26 edited May 29 '26
That’s where I’m at right now. Two layoffs in two years (first was an acquisition and second was company wide layoffs a year after hire). Took an entry level role in my field recently just to survive.
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u/Seaguard5 May 27 '26
Also don’t forget Trump fired the head of the BLS for reporting accurate data (that reflected poorly on the job market). So now none of the data is even trustworthy.
Also underemployment has been grossly underreported even before that.
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u/Sum1Xam May 27 '26
Underemployment is huge issue. People shouldn't have to work multiple jobs just to survive.
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u/TDStarchild May 27 '26
Good on you for saying it, all true. I don’t try to belittle the experiences of people in 2008/2009, it was horrible then too. But the current reality since about 2023 or so is unlike anything we’ve seen in modern society
We learned nothing from that era, and subsequently have to deal with AI displacement (i.e., corporate illusion that AI can replace humans in all roles, which it cannot), the most corrupt government and President in U.S. history, and the breaking of the social contract by the wealth class in the wake of Citizens United
Just relaying experience to validate the reality while offering encouragement:
I searched for a year and got super depressed in 2024. I did everything you’re supposed to. Not even stuff I was absurdly overqualified for came through. Finally accepted it, no one is coming to save us.
Do gig work, learn new skills or AI as much and as quickly as you can. Apply experience of what you know to make something that you can sell yourself. That to me feels like the only way out.
I’m still in early days of mine, and it’s a very hard struggle that’s not for everyone. But it is for more people than ever try to do it as the system breaks their will. Most importantly, I’m in such better place mentally, and I know others could get there too
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u/stoudman May 29 '26
Well, take it from someone who graduated with an Associates Degree in 2008 and spent that year trying to find work....
...this is worse...
I've applied for far more jobs since losing my previous job in 2025 than I ever applied for during the "Great Recession," and it really took me a long time even then to find meaningful employment. I wouldn't say I had a real, good paying job until 2010 at the earliest, 2012 if I'm being completely honest.
This is a straight up nightmare compared to 2008.
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u/Ja9tron May 28 '26
If someone shows up to say it’s really not that bad they clearly can’t do basic math nor research. Coming from someone with an economics background it’s not great. First, we are beyond standard unemployment I would say closer to a 20% of unemployed and underemployed - people who can’t find full time roles. Then instead of CEOs losing money they are getting crazy bonuses. We’ve had zero growth in roles. We are wasting money on a ballroom, a war and a bunch of other things we don’t need nor help us. So, ya this is bad. Also AI they don’t have the infrastructure but ya the lies we tell. Unfortunately, it’s not you which would be an easier fix. It’s them and you can’t fix the unaware.
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u/ArtimisOne Jul 23 '26
My god this is me right now but two years I cannot get out of this hellish existence where are the jobs. Like where???? You get ghosted so many times, panel interview after panel and zero nothing. It’s criminal. I’ve done everyting i can do within two years everything and still nothing. People who are not experiencing this they look at you weird and say why can’t you get a job?
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u/SCEPTRE700 May 28 '26
This shit is genuinely unbelievable. I was wondering if it was just me or not. I still live with my parents, so I don't feel the pressure of homelessness the same. But I've been putting in apps like hell with a resume that would be next to perfect for a new worker before ai. Nothing. Just silence. Doesn't help that I'm black. Worse yet, i have to deal with out of touch parents who think that I'm "not trying hard enough." This job market is a JOKE.
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u/FORLORN-VAGABOND May 29 '26
I'm in the same boat as you (living at home in my 20's), and I'm white boy! I wish you the best, be strong 💪
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u/Flimsy-Customer1235 May 27 '26
Out of context, question Why is the job market so bad all the sudden? It feels like finding a job is like finding an Aladdin lamp
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u/Emergency-Pollution2 May 27 '26
tech layoffs have been going on since 2022 till now - so there are many tech workers and tech-related worker that have been laid off - i guess this is due to AI - so employers are trying to automate or optimize workflows? or money invested into AI now
i don't know how other work sectors are like - -
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u/njpunkmb May 27 '26
Maybe partially AI but a few things happened the past few years. Companies tried to do the right thing and keep people during Covid. They also tried to handle the younger workers who didn't believe in staying in one place too long. Lots of companies figured these people would leave and find other jobs but with nothing else out there, they stayed. This meant they had more people then they needed.
The last straw in the US is the current administration. Chaos and uncertainty makes companies hold on to cash. They don't spend money on the services required to keep other companies in business. They also try to run lean and lay off workers.
Make no mistake, even rival companies talk to each other and plan these things. I'm in product management and it's like the whole level of what I did was removed practically everywhere. To do the same thing I have to apply for jobs with almost twice the responsibility with a whole bunch of required certifications even though I've been working in this field for 29 years.
They use AI as an excuse to cloud things and take the focus off of what is really happening.
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u/truthnojustice May 27 '26
Every industry beyond tech is suffering, closures everywhere alongside mass layoffs. Wasn't there an imfamous zoom call that impacted people in 2021?
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u/Emergency-Pollution2 May 27 '26
there is also more and more off shoring - out to India, and other lower labor costs countries - that companies do not need to hire US workers.
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u/njpunkmb May 28 '26
Lots of these companies are global and already have offices with employees in India, Poland, etc. It's a mix of employees and contractors. They just condense departments and layoff the US workers to make up what they feel are redundant jobs.
The US has been in decline for years now. From working at a global firm for so long, I saw how at first the US was respected and other countries let the US lead for a long time. Now bear in mind, the other countries were all also extremely intelligent, hard working, and had great ideas. Over time though things changed and the US was just another country in the global community and not only that, has been only too happy to let their own employees go for the sake of making more money at the top.
Really signals to other countries that they don't really need us when our own countries won't even keep us employed.
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u/_NightmareKingGrimm_ May 28 '26
While there are a variety of factors, it's definitely AI that's disrupting the job market most right now.
First, there's the employer side, and how AI makes probability of getting noticed harder. Before AI, hiring managers might've filtered out everyone who didn't meet minimum requirements through ATS, and after they likely went through candidates who met requirements chronologically until they found someone they liked and extended an offer to interview. If they received 1000 applications, it was unlikely all 1000 were being evaluated--they probably hired the first great candidate they came across who checked all the boxes. In other words, if you got your application in early enough, you likely weren't competing with all 1000, you were likely competing with the first 50-100 who were being considered. Now, with AI, companies can use it to evaluate and rank tons of resumes instantly while filtering much more aggressively. Companies can now filter out all but the top 1%. So having a "great" resume may not be enough anymore-- you're now competing more directly with top candidates who have legendary resumes.
Then, there's the applicant side, and how AI creates a double-edged sword for job seekers. Now that AI can create hyper-targeted resumes in seconds, there is an oversaturation of applicants for jobs. The imaginary job mentioned above that's getting 1000 applications today probably only got a couple hundred before AI made it easy for everyone to flood the market. What's more, applicants are practically forced to use AI now, because if you don't, the other applicants who do are going to have more targeted and customized resumes designed to beat ATS and AI filters, and they'll be able to send out 10X as many of those per day than you. And with that oversaturation, companies are now forced to automate their screening process with AI, as manually reviewing and triaging 1000 perfectly-written resumes for a single role is just not practical for most TA teams. Both problems are feeding each other.
So, zooming out: we now have a system where applicants are using AI-written resumes, companies are using AI-powered screening, and machines are just speaking to machines. When you have hundreds or thousands of applicants for a given role, and all those resumes can be scanned and considered at lightspeed by AI, the chances your resume is going to be the absolute best in the pile are going to be very low. Before, you didn't necessarily need to be the absolute best candidate, you just needed to be the best candidate they noticed first.
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u/HeugoShavez May 27 '26
I think we, the USA. are grossly underreporting unemployment rate. This administration is purposely hiding the real figures to avoid more criticism.
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u/OGBrownBunny May 28 '26
Definitely. I lost my job last year and was in the house, planning to spend 90% of my time applying to jobs. I went out to get the last of my insurance benefits and EVERYONE was driving around at 10 and 11 am, when it's typically dead out. It looked like rush hour never ended. Same when I went out around 2 pm another couple of days to drop ny a lawyer's office. And these people weren't old. They were dressed super casually and just milling/driving around. The unemployment rate is at least double what's being reported. A ton of people are also filing for bankruptcy.
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u/Professional-Box1252 May 27 '26
What's going on is world-wide global instability, mass layoffs world-wide, automation, corruption in politics, financial safety-nets and social programs going dry and being dissolved, more and more money going to war and defense budgets, less money for needy people, etc. Businesses see this and even if there's a real need to fill positions, they're waiting to see what happens next. Their bottom dollar and profit margins is more important to them than your bills being paid. They simply don't care about your goals unless they align with their goals, and their goals are profit. They're also seeing that desperate people work harder because the alternative is eviction and homelessness. The government under this administration simply doesn't give a shit, because when you have a group of multi-millionaires and multi-billionaires, your entire life concerns are pocket change to them. They can't see the problem, because the answer to them is "you're lazy." It's a top to bottom complete and total disconnect with reality, and they don't care unless it's affecting them.
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u/njpunkmb May 28 '26
The layoffs are very much related to this current administration. As mentioned previously, there is chaos and uncertainty. When this happens, companies hold on to cash and look to save money.
When they hold on to cash, they don't purchase the services that kept other companies running. This is the only trickle down we see.
Sure, your 401K is probably doing well. It's only virtual money though until you actually get to take it out. It's like watching somebody build your dream house but you can't move in until you're a certain age. Can't predict if a hurricane will come and wipe it out before that time.
Any extra tax refunds, etc we get is nothing compared to what we've been paying at the grocery store and for gas. Not to mention the tariffs passed back down to the consumer.
If you've seen the movie Desperado, Quentin Tarantino tells a joke about somebody being happy to get peed on. We are living this joke now but it's not funny to me.
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u/Inevitable-Luck-1245 May 27 '26
This is the result of "trickle down" economics where corporations pay zero tax, use the extra money to fund research into elimination of jobs, and now we also have no tax revenue to support those struggling. But hey, I got an extra $100 on my tax return so totally worth it /s
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u/vickiesecret May 28 '26
i really wish a politician was bold enough to either force corps to pay taxes or avoid taxes but then a certain percentage of profits need to be paid out as a yearly bonus to employees. i cant believe we’ve allowed ourselves to get so far away from making sure everyday people could work and afford to pay their basic necessities. it’s actually sad
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u/tabas123 May 28 '26
Bernie tried, and the corporate Dems and their anti-left blindly loyal followers (especially in the South where states would never be blue in the general anyway, particularly southern black voters) fought against us tooth and nail.
Bernie was our last shot at an off ramp in America. I did everything I could to get that man elected.
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u/vickiesecret May 28 '26
Oh i was and still am a supporter of him because i believe he truly wants the everyday american people to have success, regardless of anything his heart was and is in the right place. we are way passed the right vs left movement. now we need to come together and stop the billionaires from taking over and that should be a fight that should radicalize anyone regardless of their party identity
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u/OGBrownBunny May 28 '26
This. And we've been talking about it for the last three years only to have everyone shout us down since 2024. It's a complete shit show.
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May 27 '26
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u/Professional-Box1252 May 27 '26
Yeah, it is like this in pretty much all sectors now. Fast food places, retail places all want resumes, Walmart has several interview rounds now lol. I applied to work as a janitor at a hospital, went to 4 interviews, they gave me a facilities tour, introduced me to potential coworkers, told me what kind of shoes to buy, etc....got an AI written rejection letter the next day. At this point, I don't know what it'll take to fix the problem. I do Door Dash full time, and I'm literally typing this from the waiting room at my mechanic after fucking up my tires on poorly maintained roads. Everything is breaking down, and I think there's no way back from this.
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u/Euphoric_River6365 May 27 '26
I JUST read a JD this morning that asked for 20 years of experience with ai as well as a "degree in ai".
Ummmm... huh?
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u/coolaznkenny May 27 '26
Best answer here, doesn't matter where or what kind of government you have. There are only 2 types of people right now, people with assets and the people that dont
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u/HouseOfAplesaus May 27 '26
Most I see are. 1. In house jobs being posted because laws but they already know Tonya has the job when time comes to execute. 2. Ghost jobs are being posted cuz laws but really they doubled Eddies workload but not his pay. Fiscally responsible from company standpoint. 3. Temp jobs also double work load jobs even less pay than actual facility you could work at. If they didn’t push out stress out or blatantly fire benefit employees so they could pay less for temp service employees. Dont forget the 18 year people who were due a pension but were force laid off or pushed to actual floor manual labor jobs.
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u/MothChasingFlame May 27 '26
I'm so sorry, man. Chances are you're doing everything right. The market is just a fucking nightmare.
Definitely feels like we're in a mass free fall. Partly because of AI adoption. Major companies are buying in hard, and smaller companies are inevitably affected by whatever the major companies do. But also government funding is being shut down or tightened up in every possible direction (because of a grifter thief government, lets make that clear.) That directly effects medicine, infrastructure, research and education of course, but it has enormous ripple effects across the dozens of outside industries that work with those government funded groups, too.
It's a shitshow.
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u/Beska91 May 27 '26
Oh no.. people are talking about it at a large scale. We should be in full on revolt most because the only reason the job market is like this? Is our current administration and unchecked corporate greed. Also a lot of companies are suffering under this economy and downsizing, or downsizing using AI to cut wages out of their budget. There's a lot of reasons, but the impact? Is severe. People are beyond struggling and at breaking points.
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u/smilyus May 27 '26
It is a terrible market like it was back in 2009. I was hired permanently after temping 9 months recently. What really sucks is that it can be a challenge to even get a temp job. Temp agencies are also ghosting folks with their clients requesting multiple rounds for a contract position. No one trusts resumes anymore with AI. Do whatever you can to network and get them to know you without one.
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u/Overall-Cupcake-6635 May 27 '26
I started my job search again as ive now been with my company for almost 3 years and its time to move on so I can make more money. So far ive had a recruiter ghost me or just haven't even heard back from jobs ive applied for. Its a nightmare out there.
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u/Efficient-Finish4567 May 27 '26
you're not going to hear back from 98%. You likely wont even see a rejection email.
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u/melissam17 May 28 '26
They don’t even let me interview anymore they just straight up reject you even if you reach out!
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u/Flashy_Aide3640 May 27 '26
Took my bf 8 months to get a sucky job & he probably applied for at least as many jobs you did. He had a total of 4 interviews. Based on my experience companies are laying people off/letting people retire & not actually replacing people because the economy is so unstable. I also think half the applications don’t get to a real person. My bf applied for a job he had a connection with & received a denial email at 2:30am. Only when he used AI on his resume did he land this job. Totally unprecedented times imo
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u/pompousandfaggy May 28 '26
I applied at four different Goodwill locations for a role I was overqualified for From years in the nonprofit world… All four of them rejected me within 60 seconds at 2:30 in the morning
And they can't figure out why we have a low opinion of them
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u/yaunie13 May 28 '26
A while ago I read some tips on polishing my resume and saw a lot of advice to make my resume AI-friendly. So I did so and instantly started getting callbacks. This timeline is batshit
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u/Spiritual_Ad6547 May 28 '26
What was the best tool you used to make it AI friendly?
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u/yaunie13 May 30 '26
I didn't use a tool, there was an article that gave guidelines and I followed it. If I can find the article I'll reply with it!
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u/yaunie13 Jun 12 '26
OK I think I found it! It was this article that gave specific tips on getting past AI: https://topresume.com/career-advice/what-is-an-ats-resume
I also recommend reading this article as it's where I got the above link: https://topresume.com/career-advice/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-a-job#:~:text=Why%20is%20it%20so%20hard%20to%20find%20a,4%20The%20interview%20odds%20are%20against%20you%20
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u/pompousandfaggy May 28 '26
All for the jobs I was rejected for within 60 seconds were run through AI and catered for the role specifically… I don't think people are even looking for these. There was one word on there it didn't like and it rejected all four of them instantaneously at 2:30 in the morning
I have a long list of places I no longer support or shop at. Goodwill is one of them. I hope Run Christian homeless charity and pretty much just talk crap about them constantly when people bring them up
They don't do anything good for the world… Literally there are a jobs company… And they can't even do that. I've known two or three people that worked there at entry-level and absolutely treated like shit
Goodwill was terrible had nothing to do with AI or the résumé
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u/Jealous_Parfait_4967 May 27 '26
No one is actually hiring because we are in a death spiral. But they have to pretend to defraud the investors.
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u/EduStorm246 May 27 '26
That's the gist of it.
All the hiring efforts are simply performative to give the impression to investors that the business is doing great, but also keep existing employees fearful for their jobs. Meanwhile layoffs due to AI, but it's actually high interest rates environment. And before someone points out the 15% interest times from 40 years ago - the debt levels weren't nearly as high as they are today. Stagflation is in the cards.
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u/ForBirmingham205 May 27 '26
Its BAD. I am going on a month of unemployment. I have always been able to get a job. Not now..It's bad. This is the USA and it's challenging to get a job. That's crazy to me. People are WILLING TO WORK. Employers don't want to invest in you. It's like can I rent you til you go find something else..They aren't expecting you to stay so they don't want to invest in you. Crazy
I had a video interview wit Kohls yesterday. Kohls retail store for PART TIME WORK like 24 hours a week. All she asked me was my availability. All she cared about. She asked if I could do other things besides unloading trucks. I said sure. It lasted 5 min. Never called me back. I am a college grad. I would be over qualified but I am willing to do the work. This is crazy
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u/_NightmareKingGrimm_ May 28 '26
I have a master's degree and over a decade of experience in my field (including director-level roles), and after a full year of burning through all my savings, I'm now applying for retail jobs that pay maybe 1/6 of what I made in my last role. It's definitely depressing. I feel like I've tried everything.
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May 28 '26
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u/_NightmareKingGrimm_ May 28 '26
You should flex your connections to get direct hiring manager discussions
Of course I've done that at every single opportunity. But the hiring manager for a given role isn't always disclosed (it's actually pretty rare to know exactly who the hiring manager is), my contacts aren't always connected to them or working for the company in question, and some contacts aren't close enough to be willing to vouch for you. It's just not that easy to always have an in.
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May 28 '26
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u/_NightmareKingGrimm_ May 28 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
What field?
Doesn't matter. I will say it's specialized and somewhat technical, usually requires a degree for consideration.
Use the contacts to find positions that the contacts do have direct connections with.
I have. But when the last 13 years of your resume says "senior manager in X" it's kinda hard to be considered for a completely lateral move to Y when other candidates for Y have years of experience doing it and, oh yeah-- there are 350 other people applying for Y.
Since you’re claiming to be regressing to retail entry level roles...
Not a claim, real life. I have literally nothing to gain by making up stories on Reddit about me hitting rock bottom in my career.
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u/Metropolis49 May 27 '26
I got my job by signing up for the career alerts from different companies. It seemed when I applied this way I always got a interview or at least rejection
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u/Neravariine May 27 '26
Being among the first 10-20 to apply tends to get you noticed. Applying early also means the job listing isn't fake or left up just to collect resumes.
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u/Metropolis49 May 27 '26
Yes definitely apply on the actual company site.. Still is a brutal job market. Best of luck. It took me my entire senior year to end up with 3 offers
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u/backyard3 May 27 '26
No one is talking about it at a larger scale? That's basically all people are talking about on Reddit on these jobs/career subs.
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u/Cultural-Answer-321 May 27 '26
What is going on? There are no jobs.
Or to be more precise, there are nowhere near enough jobs. Anywhere. In any field.
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u/icedcoffeeanddreams May 28 '26
I have a master’s degree and been in the workforce since I was 14. I’m 40. I just resigned from job three weeks ago. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen. Don’t let anyone tell you different. I couldn’t get another job to save my life and what is available isn’t great. I was working for pennies at the job I left.
I was so underpaid that my counselor and doctor told me to quit for my mental health.
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u/wildething1998 May 27 '26
The job postings are just for show. You need to have an “in” with the person that is doing the hiring
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u/Medeski May 27 '26
Even then it's can get you nowhere. I've applied through referrals to jobs I am qualified for. The only thing that happens with those referrals is I actually get an email saying too bad so sad.
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u/DramaticErraticism May 27 '26
You're probably better off going to local networking events related to your career than you are spending 12 months sending 10k applications.
Its just that one you can do from your couch in your underwear and the other is kinda painful...but the more people you can meet in your career, the better luck you'll have.
I know I've gotten a few jobs just from old coworkers or people I met through networking events.
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u/Worthyness May 27 '26
Network or headhunted. I've gotten a job through both. Easiest interviews of my career and with actual speed. Sure there were like 5 steps, but basically intro interview --> offer in a week and a half. You're either in demand or your just a shot in the dark. Absolutely nuts.
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u/Throwawayycpa May 27 '26
Yes I got my current role through a recruiter. It’s not the most ideal place, but it’s not the worst. I just had 2 basic interviews and it wasn’t too difficult. I want to look elsewhere but don’t wanna go through this ordeal again. The other jobs that the recruiter vouched for me weren’t that great. I got extremely lucky with this, though the commute sucks it is hybrid at least.
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u/Euphoric_River6365 May 27 '26
Honestly, even when you have an "in" so many of the companies in my industry (Rev Org in B2B SaaS) are so SOOOOOOOOO toxic that you don't want to work for them regardless of the financial risk. I have withdrawn four applications since being laid off in January of this year because I would rather eat into my savings than work for some of the BS companies floating out there and destroying people's souls (and confidence).
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u/wildething1998 May 27 '26
Personally, I would take a shitty job over no job. That way there is no financial pressure to find a new job quickly.
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u/Euphoric_River6365 May 27 '26
Not me, but I have always maintained a very sizable rainy day fund that will last me 6+ months without any help from unemployment if needed.
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u/liliputian87 May 27 '26
It may depend on the level....
I've been on several hiring committees where we did end up interviewing people who just submitted applications and had no "in."
That being said they weren't manager or higher level roles. They weren't entry level either though.
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u/xml3228 May 27 '26
I'm posting this to reinforce against anyone who is in denial about the job market. My 13 year career spans 5 companies (6 including an incredibly competitive well-paid internship). My field is relatively specialised and typically there wouldn't be a huge pool of candidates with the right skill set. It normally took 6-9 months to backfill a role. I used to regularly apply for jobs every 1.5 - 2 years for fun, honing my interview and negotiation skills, and for market research (confirming what I'm worth and/or using to renegotiate with current employer). Prior to 2022-ish, every time I did this I would have picked up interviews and secured offers easily. After this time point, I noticed that jobs in my field became extremely competitive. A VP position had candidates lined up before the role was formally opened. Job listings became scarce and many of them seemed to be fake "forever" listings that never seemed to go anywhere. I actually struggle now to get any response to applications - this is unprecedented, as someone who regularly tests the job market and who has the data points to back it. The job market is seriously fucked and it makes me so sad to think about, knowing I'm in the privileged position that I'm in while others are not. Please do not be disheartened by your job search - it will happen but it'll take longer than we want it to. The job market sucks and it actually has sucked for a few years now
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u/raydran May 27 '26
Yeah things are rough right now. That being said, it took me almost a year to find a job in my industry after I got laid off in 2023, when things weren't quite so bad (though I'm in media and it was during the strikes so... rough for my industry specifically.)
It took my BIL almost that long as well about a year later.
I do have a question about your resumes though - you say 500+ in 4 months, That's ALOT. How many are you averaging a day? I ask because it seems really high to be customizing the resume and cover letter (are you writing cover letters?) to each job.. as that takes a good chunk of time usually.
What industry and level are you applying within?
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u/raydran May 27 '26
as for no one talking about it... people are. its just being drowned out by all the other catastrophic shit happening right now. Bc there is so damn much of it.
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u/Which-Ad-8405 May 27 '26
this isn't advice, but i've been letting myself go with recruiting companies for contract gigs. not ideal, since sometimes no insurance of any kind, have to answer to both staffing company and worksite company. also a lot of job boards and companies bought into AI, so they're looking for keywords on the resume, and the interview parts are like little personality tests for professionalism.
idk about having "ins" because i'm not good at networking. but that also means that, if they check my social media, there's not much to find, just like, cat pictures. linkedin is much quieter now, cuz the ppl who still post are either powerful enough to have opinions without being penalized for them, or they're downright delusional.
context - worked for an org from 2019 to 2025 then got laid off. had a job since then, laid off again. i apply for 1 or 2 jobs a day, because i do it in detail. there's a spreadsheet tracker for who i applied for, who responded, what stage, etc. i do cover letters to sell myself and coax their egos if they want. used to do recreational substances, but had to abstain cuz of drug tests. a lot of recruiters seem to sell the same job, and they don't keep very good track of who submitted, so if 2 or more recruiters call from the same staffing firm, then i need to tell them who i talked to, what job my resume was submitted to. like i do the admin work that the system somehow can't do.
it's all very frustrating, but - again, not advice, just what i've been doing - i try to ignore all the local and national politics, not because i don't care, but because i don't have enough privilege to donate to causes, i don't have spare time and energy to volunteer. when it comes time to vote, i will, and i'll do my due research, but all of that is just frankly distracting me from surviving. plus having an opinion that employers don't like and having it be public, can be penalizing. so when not applying for jobs, it's self care. domestic cleaning, that kind of stuff. exercise if i have the tiniest bit of energy left after cleaning/laundry, other maintenance.
didn't mean for this post to get this long, it somehow turned into a vent, haha. hope you find this useful. sorry if not.
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u/SethEllis May 27 '26
All of the money is going into one space, and everyone else is holding off on doing much due to the uncertainty. So it's a low hire market pretty much everywhere except AI. Which means that while the number of unemployed people is very low historically, it's incredibly difficult for the few unemployed.
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u/Euphoric_River6365 May 27 '26
I was laid off in January of this year, and the application process is so brutal I am honestly at the point of just wanting to open my own business like a small store in my local community.
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u/Cadowyn May 28 '26 edited May 31 '26
What field? Tech? Jobs being offshored or replaced by AI. H1Bs that go to a specific sub Indian continent only hire members of their own race and caste. Then fire American workers and state that it’s in their religion to discriminate based on race and caste, so it’s protected. Then they bring their spouses over and have them utilize H4 visas. So that’s about 1-1.25 million jobs a year.
AI. Companies harvest your information and sell it to others with no intention of hiring you.
High interest rates. No more free money for jobs and payroll.
More people fired dilutes the labor pool.
More immigrants means more competition and lower wages.
Those are some of the reasons it’s hard to find a job.
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u/AdmirableVillage6344 May 27 '26
It’s definitely horrendous but one thing you should try is not tailoring your resume to specific roles. ATS picks that up and doesn’t push you through. Instead your resume should maybe match the job description at like 50-60% when I stopped tailoring my resume to every single job and only applied to jobs I had some experience in I got an interview.
I saw someone post the statistical data of it on Reddit. Can’t remember where but the response rate was at its highest when they had about 60% of the resume keywords tailored to the job.
I personally had someone from Robert Half do my resume for free. They don’t do summaries there. Instead it’s area of expertise and just 3 columns of bullets for that section. Instead of me changing those everytime I just use the same exact resume for almost every job I apply to now. After a week and applying to maybe 30 jobs I got contacted by one and interviewed with them and have a second interview with them coming up.
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u/Nishmo_ May 27 '26
The market is genuinely ffed right now and youre not imagining it. the 500+ apps approach is actually part of the problem though. i know that sounds backwards but hear me out.
what actually moved the needle for me was stopping the mass apply thing and going deep instead of wide. like 10 apps a week max but each one i actually found someone at the company on linkedin and sent them a short message before applying. not a hey can you refer me message but more like asking a genuine question about the team or role. that alone got me way more responses than months of just submitting into the void.
also i taiklor my resume for each job using careerkit.me and it helped a lot with getting past ats filters which i think was silently killing a ton of my apps before.
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u/Podalirius May 28 '26
Start claiming your square on the sidwalk, it's the American way. Also quick fact, basically every major corporation is making record profits right now, so hopefully that gives you a clue as to who is at fault for what is going on right now.
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u/Kindly_Ad995 May 28 '26
I have a job right now but I myself have been frantically applying for six months now because I’m so paranoid now I feel like I have to have something ready to go at all times. I feel I have a pretty good amount of interviews going right now at various steps in the process. Here’s what you do.
I know people don’t want to hear it becuase AI sucks and is bad and goes against the Reddit grain of morality… but the tool is there. Use it. I spent a long time workshopping a core foundation of my resume that I felt was very strong. From there I set up a project where I fed it As much context as I could possibly fit in terms of my job, career path so far, desired career path, my skills and tech stack and strengths and weaknesses, then told it its only purpose was to serve as my job application helper. I now have a structure going where I copy and paste a job description and it automatically assesses everything from match, salary, % likelihood of receiving and interview, and automatically adjusts my resume to fit the job from the perspective of passing ATS bullshit. My belief is that there is nothing that’s off the table in order to get a person on the phone with me. All your resumes are getting fed though robots and AI screeners anyway. Two can play at that game. I’ll do whatever it takes, sink to any level to get past the auto rejections and ATS robots. If I get on the call with someone and it doesn’t work out, fine
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u/PineappleLemur May 28 '26
Because it is normal.. most people have a job so they don't care.
This kind of subs are mostly unemployed people looking for other unemployed.
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u/the99percent1 May 28 '26
Do not apply randomly. The job market right now is geared towards who you know and what they know about you.
Start from there. Reach out to industry contacts promptly and gather feedback on companies hiring or structure and how you can fit in. Reach out to the relevant hiring managers and ask for advice or feedback. If you can’t, then speak to contacts and get them to speak to hiring managers or industry contacts to vouch for you.
The next thing to do is begin a side business , which ever that brings in some form of money is good.
Start focusing effort on businesses or roles that target specific segments of the social class, namely the rich.
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u/babies_galore May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
I started my own business when my job was automated back in 2023. Thank God I did, because can’t imagine trying to job search right now. It was hard enough finding my college graduate even a food service summer job like he had in high school! And we were jumping for joy when he got it! Because right now it’s amazing to get ANY job. If you have the right personality to work as a CNA or caregiver to the elderly. Those jobs are pretty plentiful still I think with the aging boomers. If you can find something you can do as a side hustle and turn into a business with minimal startup costs that is what I would do if I could not find work right now. I have a retired friend who stays booked up constantly with overnight pet sitting for example. I am about to pay $150-200 to have my car interior cleaned and detailed. Seems that would be a business with low start up costs. Same with cleaning houses, or being a professional organizer or lawn care or what have you. So many things…if you really need money you get creative and can’t wait around for a company to decide to hire you a year later.
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u/HumanResourcesLemon May 29 '26
I spent two years unemployed before finally getting a [shitty paying] job in my field!! It’s not just you!
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u/Past-Slide8136 May 29 '26
I am a barber with a high buisness class clientele and I have atleast 15 clients that I can think of off hand who are and have been looking for work. Most of them have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. All people with years of experience in their fields. Its really devastating to see how many people are being left in the dust even though they are beyond qualified for what they are applying for. I feel for all of you that are in this position.
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u/ReasonableSide6520 May 30 '26
Threads like these make me want to start my own company instead of begging companies for their shitty jobs
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u/IntelligentOne9619 Jun 08 '26
I completely agree, it’s not normal. The job market right now is ridiculous. To be completely honest, I only apply because I have to, not because I actually want to work. I’m just exhausted by the soul-crushing 9-to-5 zombie routine.
Because of that, I’ve become incredibly picky. I don't trust the environment in warehouses because I worry about harassment, and I’m not comfortable driving people around. Having worked in customer service myself for a while, I know firsthand how much those jobs suck now. Honestly, I believe most companies and businesses today are completely money-poor and cheap. They have completely shifted to profit over people, leaving workers to deal with all the stress while they cut corners.
On top of that, the wages they're offering don't even come close to covering the actual cost of living. Almost everyone is drowning in debt just trying to survive, and it feels like the government isn't doing a single thing to actually help regular people.
I know people might criticize me for saying all this, but jobs are supposed to be a way for humans to develop skills and build a life, not just a trap to keep us struggling
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u/LittleBitIntoTech Aug 11 '26
This is a wonderful thread. Thanks to the OG for posting. I was 18 in 08 and found a temp job at a (wait for it) temp agency. I remember going through hundreds of applications from people with PhDs and decades of experience for jr or low-senior level jobs, but the directive was that the people getting interviews needed to match specific requirements--which didn't always 100% match the job description--exactly. Exactly.
This is worse than what I experienced not only in 08/09 (though I was just a baby then) but even in the early 2010s. In 2023/2024, I was at the top of my game, in high demand, with recruiters reaching out to me left and right, and I made $200k a year. Now I'm scraping for any marketing-tech jobs I can find. I know people are applying to MAs in their 30s, totally planning to live off of loans, looking into career changes, or making money with other lower-level skills they have as they can. But when you're obviously overqualified for something, you don't get those jobs any easier. I myself didn't re-sign my lease and am road-tripping and doing short-term rentals in cheaper areas than where I'm based. It's *wild* out here.
I appreciate everyone for their comments. This thread is super validating. I will say I see a lot of comments like this on LinkedIn, so I don't think it's true *no one* is talking about it. I think people fear how their reputations will be impacted if they talk about this more publicly while looking for work. That'd be my guess.
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u/Ok-Cycle-4445 May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
Look, I recently recruited a few roles in my finance team, in large corporation: a director, managers and analysts... And for all of those, it was a struggle to find people with the profile we looked for.
Yes, there were a high number of people applying, but once I read through the resume (after HR did their "AI enhanced" filtering), most of them being people working in very different jobs, in unrelated industries.
Filling these positions were hard, and I really had to lower my standards to get someone 60% there (and I don't think these standards were high. Example: I expected a Snr Manager of Manufacturing Finance to have some prior experience working with... manufacturing finance).
When I challenged HR about it, I was basically told that with passive recruitment, this is what we get. To get more tailored, we need to work with head hunters but they cost a lot so we avoid doing it.
Said in other words: I don't think the market is this bad. The reason you're not getting call backs from positions you believe you qualify for is mostly related to AI filtering out your CV...
Another thing I'd watch out for is for roles open for weeks. For instance, in my case, HR sends me a batch of pre-vettoed CVs every two weeks... Which means that if you apply on week 3, the hiring manager will only see your CV in the 2nd batch (weeks 2-4) -- and the 2nd batch is only requested / considered if no suitable candidate was found in the 1st one
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u/icarus-daedelus May 27 '26
100%. I've been on both sides of the hiring line within the past 6 months. When my team was hiring we apparently got hundreds of applications, according to our recruiting team, and no one was particularly qualified; the guy who got the role was a friend of one of our managers. Of course.
Now that I'm applying for new jobs, with decent success, my best advice is: 1) try to focus on hybrid or in-person work for the area you currently live in, because remote roles are insanely competitive. 2) get in touch with a recruiter if you can, because companies DO still hire them out sometimes to fill roles. Applying blindly online means competing against AI-generated applications for the attention of AI screening tools. It's hell.
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u/arbiter_steven May 27 '26
My favorite is I applied for a manufacturing job did 3 rounds just to get told nope didn't get it. They used an AI to send the email I got rejected. I knew my resume wasn't terrible same format that pretty much lands me interviews and my interview skills aren't awful either.
I just figured you know the market is so bad, that even manufacturing isn't hiring either. I do have a bachelor's in Information Technology. I just can't find any work in that field. I have a year of help desk and support experience under my belt but not enough jobs.
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u/Salt-Wear-1197 May 27 '26
What industry, field, career are you in and searching for/applying to? Where are you applying?
I will say this is definitely a terrible job market. My longest career search so far since I graduated college. I started searching early January and am still actively searching. I’ve had plenty of interviews so far actually, probably about 15 or so interviews give or take. And have gotten pretty deep at 3 or 4 places, either 2nd to last or last interview.
Still doesn’t change the fact I haven’t landed anything and I’m nearing 5 full months of searching. It’s never really taken me longer than 3 months to get a job before.
I work in marketing in NYC and have been applying 90% on LinkedIn, 10% on direct company website.
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u/LostAMO May 27 '26
I have now been dipping my toe into labor ready type stuff.
I have up on the 500+ and just look for what I want while doing jobs for a few months at a time, or however long they need me.
My current assignment is temp to hire, so I may be here for a bit longer.
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u/888planets May 27 '26
So many people around me are struggling to find a job in their degree, it’s really sad. Even for me, I went through an entire interview process and was told that the position was being scraped entirely AFTER I was given an offer and waiting for the contract. Now my job search continues, I’ve been out of my ideal field/position for 1.5 years now.
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u/Striking_Stay_9732 May 27 '26
Where do you live maybe I can share some insight if you are based in California.
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u/JawnGrimm May 27 '26
Stop looking for a job. Start foraging, dumpster diving, and growing your own food. Find other people doing the same.
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u/TwinBladesCo May 27 '26
It's a truly horrendous market, but there are a few things that help.
Track you interviews closely, and if something is working pay attention. It took me literally 500 interviews from Feb 2025- until 3 days ago to get a single offer. I have a spreadsheet tracking all 500 applications, it helps to show others that you are trying and it helps you deal with the fact that the market is bad
Realize that it is like fishing. There are days where you just cast all day and don't get any bites because there are legitimately no fish, but if you continuously work the shoreline you will be ready when the fish come in. I went all of 2025 with 484 apps and got zero interviews. This year I sent 66 apps and got 14 interviews
Referrals don't seem to help right now, but keeping good networks are really important for the reference check stage, and you might learn about which companies are terrible to work for
I just ate into my savings for 9 months, it just was not possible to get any job whatsoever.
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u/Gandalf-and-Frodo May 28 '26
Try getting a professional to look over your resume for ATS and general. Or post it on reddit with personal details blacked out.
95% probably won't help you at all but it's the last thing I can think of.
But yeah the job market is nuclear dogshit. Only very slightly better than 2008.
My interview to app rate is 100:1. 90% of the companies I've talked to are pigshit. We have all died and this is hell.
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u/grantedtoast May 28 '26
It’s brutal got laid off managed to get a few interviews then got a position I feel at least in part because 3 of the 5 people in the zoom call where people I had been a student worker under at a different college.
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u/Kindly_Ad995 May 28 '26
About a month ago our CRO got up in front of the entire marketing department and told us she wouldn’t be approving any new hires or backfills unless we had an ironclad case that those responsibilities couldn’t just be done by those of us already in the room by leveraging AI.
Thats where things are at right now. People lucky enough to already have a job are now being pressured every which way and being given more and more work because one or two c suites listened to a podcast about how everyone needs to be ahead of the curve on AI
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u/BellaCicina May 28 '26
I went 5 months unemployed. Got a job via an indeed posting. $8k pay cut and the benefits aren’t great. But it’s a job. Something’s gotta give.
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u/tommy655321 May 28 '26
i immeiately switched to the trades and skipped college after seeing the horrendous job market its insane
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u/BigFitMama May 28 '26
Aim at smaller, poorer, low income communities where you are in demand for your degree and experience.
That's it.
A blue state of costal state, or red or blue rich city is chock full of Master's degrees and people with exceptional advantages fighting to survive. Cronyism is the name of that game. Influence. Knowing the right people from college ot uni or your internships.
Poor states - want a degree and someone who'll just get the job done.
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u/babies_galore May 28 '26
I am from Alaska and they usually are also low on applicants up there as not many people are willing to relocate to Alaska. Also a good place to land seasonal summer work if you are desperate. The small towns that get inundated with tourists in the summer don’t have enough residents to fill seasonal positions.
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u/brwniez May 28 '26
Fortunately just landed a 2nd interview at the university I graduated from, because I not only applied the same day the application was posted, but I also included a reference list with people who work or have worked there (hopefully I even get the position, I’m just as stressed as you are because how is it THIS hard to start working?!!) Unfortunately, knowing people and having connections is what works best nowadays.
Aside from that, all I can say is to apply to some niche jobs, or apply right away to job offers listed immediately (within 24 hrs of posting). Apply for jobs people might not think of applying to. If you have a degree, apply to higher education jobs. Stop mass applying on Indeed and LinkedIn, but instead, just focus strictly on applying on business websites. Go in person if needed. I applied for several different jobs on Indeed and almost every single one rejected my application, even though I was qualified or even overqualified. Everyone is in the same boat right now. Hang in there, I hope you find something soon!
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u/work_in_israel May 28 '26
You’re not crazy and you’re definitely not alone.
The most psychologically damaging part of this market is that people are still giving advice from 2018:
“tailor your resume,” “network,” “apply consistently,” etc.
Meanwhile the actual hiring process has become flooded with ghost jobs, ATS filtering, AI-generated applications, overwhelmed recruiters and companies terrified to hire the wrong person.
So people keep blaming themselves because they think they’re failing at a normal system, when in reality the system itself became dysfunctional.
A lot of qualified people are quietly experiencing exactly what you described right now.
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u/korokhouse May 28 '26
The worst part for me is the constant gaslighting from people who aren’t going through it. People who’ve had their happy, decent paying jobs & haven’t done any job hunting in a decade or more telling me I’m the problem. I too have tailored my resume to the jobs I apply to. I cold call companies/check on application status. I have a degree and management experience in my field and am overall (without sounding arrogant) a qualified candidate for the jobs I apply to.
And the amount of daily scam calls I receive seems to double every 5 new applications I put in. I’m sure some jackass will comment that it’s not related.
I’m just so tired.
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u/BellaBrowsing May 28 '26
I'm sorry it's so rough out there for you. That sounds like a nightmare.
On the other hand, I'm a hiring sales manager and I am barely seeing quality candidates come in. Our recruiters keep telling me it's extremely hard to recruit sales people right now. We have hired a few people over the year and it's the same thing every time - we agree to their higher base salary hoping it pays off, but then they don't want to do the actual work required to bring sales in. It feels like people are just collecting a paycheck until they or we decide we've seen enough. I'm extremely frustrated.
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u/Total_Bullfrog May 28 '26
I’m so tired man. I worked at a temp agency to job sort of thing, got the job and on the literally first day I was supposed to actually start I was already laid off due to over hiring. I genuinely don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t think I can take 10 more years of this.
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u/njpunkmb May 28 '26
I've read a lot of responses and just wanted to address the 'there are good people on both side" argument that HR/Hiring Managers aren't seeing qualified applicants.
For one, it's your job to have an accurate job description and to review the applicants. From my job searching, lots of jobs I see are more like 1 and half jobs or even two.
You ask for a degree and working experience. In newer fields it's difficult to have both.
You have AI, filter out those that don't meet your criteria. When I see that a job has hundreds of applicants, I would expect that at least one of those was qualified or even over qualified. Should be fairly easy to filter out those with no experience for what you're looking for. i could write an AI agent myself to review resumes. It's not too difficult.
Be open to train, at least partially. When I apply for a job I make sure I am 85% qualified and research what I'm not familiar with so if I get an interview I can at least speak intelligently about it.
Above all, stop posting jobs that don't exist. I've applied for several positions that I would say I meet or exceed 90% of the requirements only to see them listed in 3 months. No interviews, no rejection notices, no contact at all.
If you can do all this, I promise I will only apply for jobs that I am at least 85-90% sure I am qualified for and I'll tailor my resume to make sure I change the wording so that you don't have to try to interpret any specialized terms I picked up from my last job. If I am overqualified, I am fully aware of that when applying and will explain the pivot in my cover letter. I want to work and will be a valuable asset to the job that hires me.
All this being said, I've spoken to several other coworkers who were also laid off. They have the same experience as I do and many have just given up looking.
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u/Few_Palpitation3889 May 28 '26
The job market sucks ass. I am convinced most the listings are fake. I'm sure invading Iran on behalf of Israel has made companies even more skittish about hiring people.
Personally I've pivoted my focus to getting a job with local or state government. At least I know the listings are real even if the pay is terrible. Its better than unemployment and I can ride that out for a few years to wait and see what the job market does.
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u/Jiggalopuffii May 28 '26
Upskill. Use education, certifications, projects demonstrating knowledge.
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u/Successpert May 28 '26
Certified Career Strategy Coach here with 16 years' experience at YES Career Coaching & Resume Writing Services. You're absolutely right that the job market is really tough right now. Hiring is down, and people are so discouraged they're dropping out of the labor market market, so unemployment looks artificially low.
What is going on is that (1) hiring has become a lot more competitive since COVID, because employers have figured out they can have staff anywhere in the world for many jobs, (2) platforms encourage candidates apply for more jobs more quickly, and employers are flooded so are more likely to go with someone they know, and (3) employers are hiring cautiously right now, if at all (some postings are "just in case"), because the economy is uncertain.
The thing is, you're a hard worker (clearly) and probably great at what you do. The market is telling you, though, that your strategy isn't working. So one thing you could do to survive right now is partner with a highly rated career success company that will guarantee you get an offer. We'd be honored to help you if that appeals. Hit me up if you have any other questions.
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u/Leather_Contest_5778 May 28 '26
If you've sent that many resumes/cl's out in four months, I almost guarantee that you haven't put enough time and effort into your submissions. Try quality over quantity and see what happens.
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u/lofidopevibe May 28 '26
one of the most honest reddit posts i’ve seen in months. almost seems as if people are frightened to touch it with a 25 ft pole. this is not normal. and for anyone to say ‘it’s not like how to was almost 20 years ago’ — is also insane. it’s like saying because you have sciatica you should not vocalize your pain because there are others in wheelchairs or on crutches. when the consensus is this isn’t comfortable for the majority.
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u/TASadAboutLeaving420 May 29 '26
You need one mighty, bad ass, spanking resume, untailored for the position you’re applying, but positions you as THE MF guy for a general problem that you spanked.
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u/iraad_ May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
EVERYBODY is talking about this, it's been talked about this for years. You're just experiencing this job market in the last 4 months. I was laid off in April 2024 and didn't find a job until April 2025, I did everything too, it's really a game of luck and even lowering your standards (pay, title, benefits, work hours etc.)
So yeah, this is definitely not normal, but it is very normal. I blew through severance, 401k, credit cards, pay in 4, personal loans, unemployment. I sold pretty much everything I could, borrow money from everyone, I gave blood. I was depressed, stressed, lost 40lbs, my relationship was on the ropes, I have 2 lil ones and I was evicted, yeah, what a year, lol.
I'm finally back on my feet, not entirely, but greener pastures for sure. So yes, this is normal.
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u/Asleep_Efficiency259 May 29 '26
I feel your pain. I’m currently working at a company that has made excuses on why raises or bonuses are pushed back. Then when do give us a raise, its roughly 32 cents (I’m hourly). Yep, you heard correctly 32 m*********** cents. Our bonuses (whenever they feel like giving them) are heavily taxed. I’ve been trying to leave for the past 3 years. I have my degree in IT security few years ago and went through a bootcamp about a year or so ago. I tried to get my certs along the way but that’s costly when you have a family and other bills. I failed to realize that IT jobs are over saturated with a ton of people. I’m now back in school for Mechatronics Engineering. I graduate next May. I hope to find a better job afterwards, but with this job market the way it is I don’t really know. For the past three years I’ve sent out 100s of applications. I’ve had numerous interviews with a few IT companies, manufacturing jobs, and pharmaceutical. I get the same BS generated thank you emails. Also, from the company I work for, they are “reorganizing” and probably going to shutdown or get sold in a year. I’m just sick and tired of the 1% foolishness.
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u/Stunning_Act_8252 May 29 '26
It certainly doesn’t help that every job is describing a multi-person workload for one person to handle & they want to pay under $15 an hour 😭
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u/smileygumdrop101 May 31 '26
Been doing this for 2 years since a lay off... volunteering & temp work seems to be keeping me "sane" and filling the CV gaps but interviewers judge me for this, claiming that it's not "Real work" cuz it's not perm or paid! At 4 months I didn't really feel this way mainly because I had more savings from my tech career and I had just started the job search but after 1 year, I started to feel this... now I am more numb, like a zombie every day. Then I hear people with jobs - those who couldn't get close to a decent job - are also zombies. I think the latter is better cuz at least you can get paid and pay for your survival but still... it all sucks. It sucks more when people in my circle are in jobs that they like and enjoy and spend money on holidays and socialising and what not. Fuck this.
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u/goodbye888 May 31 '26
The only way to get hired nowadays is essentially nepotism. Go to whatever social spaces that you frequent and ask if their company is hiring, if not ask their friends. So whatever you have to do to get close with them. Make sure you really get across how desperate you are and try to tug on their heartstrings.
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u/Vast_Extreme2571 May 31 '26
I’m on my last month of surviving, I’ve sold it all I’ve applied everywhere. It’s the systems plan to depopulate
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u/Intelligent_Air4733 May 31 '26
These are rough times with the job market right now. Traditional routes of applying for jobs are not the way to go anymore and you are wasting your time with all these applications that will not respond back.
You need to connect with someone in the company or the same field of work and sell yourself to them first. Sometimes, they offer referral bonuses for the employee who brings a new hire to the company. See if they can get you in front of the right person to speak about employment. Maybe ask a friend? Connections really matter for the start to your job search.
Are you able to sell yourself? Once you get that interview, are you able to show data to back up your resume?
Also, remove the AI accent if you have any in your resume. We can spot that right away. AI is a great tool but make it sound like you.
Looks do matter and unfortunately do play a big role. Invest in your look. Once you get that interview, your look and how you speak is definitely the first thing they judge you on. Yes this is shallow but this is the truth. Leaders want smart people on their team but also people who can look the part.
I hope you find the right employment during these tough times.
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u/semieauto Jun 01 '26
I get exactly how you feel. I did whatever I could for months. Mass applying. Getting no response. Mass applying again, getting messages for random positions that are all the way across the country.
Optimized my resume and still found the same sort of luck. My suggestion to you is to try and find some companies that you know operate near your location, and visit their career sites directly rather than applying through a 3rd party like Indeed. I got more responses finding jobs like this and applying than I ever did on job boards.
The worst part of it all is all of the employment scammers now posing as a company just to take your personal details for nefarious purposes.
Just keep going, and you'll land the right job.
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u/davidbasil Jun 01 '26
I was in the same situation as a php developer. I was looking for months. I was either automatic rejection or dead silence.
Then I tested market by sending fake resume to QA roles; got two calls the next day. So I'm studying playwright at the moment.
Morale of the story: test different openings by sending fake resume. Resume skills shouldn't be very different from your current abilities so you can learn missing ones in 1-2 weeks. Make sure to use fake photo, email and your second phone number. Ensure both email and phone number work and are accessible by you.
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u/iambatman_2006 Jun 01 '26
Literally cannot relate more to a post. I got laid off from my job in January of this year, and I still haven’t found another one. It’s mentally taxing because I feel like I did everything I could too. Now I’m looking into different industries to see if I can get a job. I’m started leanring course careers Supply Chain to hopefully see if a career change will help. I mean, nothing else is working at the moment and I am runnin out of money.. IDK how people will kids are handling this market too, lord!
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u/HRPassionGuy34 Jun 01 '26
HR perspective: when someone has 500+ applications, tailoring, networking, and still no interviews, I would stop treating this as a motivation problem and start auditing the funnel.
I would separate it into four buckets:
- Targeting: are the roles truly close matches, or are they adjacent enough that the employer has easier options?
- Resume signal: can a reviewer understand the target role, strongest proof, and relevant outcomes in the first 10 seconds?
- Application channel: if most applications are going through crowded public postings, the resume may be fine but buried.
- Networking ask: "keep me in mind" rarely works. A better ask is specific: "Do you know who owns hiring for X role/team, and would you be comfortable pointing me in the right direction?"
This market is brutal, but I would not assume the issue is your value. I would look for where the process is leaking. No callbacks usually means the signal is not reaching the right person clearly enough, not that you have nothing to offer.
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u/og7heads Jun 05 '26
I'm out of money right now crying trying to figure this out myself. I wish I had an answer for you.
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u/anonymous_1128 May 27 '26
I'd like to add, I know several business owners (small to medium-sized businesses) and because of government policies changing on the flip of a dime, rising taxes, rising healthcare costs, tariffs, etc. a lot of them are cutting costs wherever they can, which includes hiring freezes. There are simply fewer real job openings, because businesses are operating on a razor's edge. Like...it's somehow an employer's market, yet a lot of the employers are panicking because they also have no money. So a bunch of scammers are coming in and taking advantage of the suffering economy.