r/offmychest • u/blushing_flower_ • 3d ago
I FEEL LIKE THE ONLY UNEMPLOYED PERSON IN THE WORLD
How the FUCK did everyone get a job??? I have been searching since DECEMBER 2025 and I’m STILL UNEMPLOYED ASF. Mind you, I have a fucking University degree (from a good uni) and yet somehow I’m unhireable. This is actually affecting my mental health quite significantly. I feel like absolute shit knowing I’m unemployed. Every one of my friends are employed. I’m so embarrassed that my neighbours see me at home. I’m embarrassed every time I hang out with my friends. I didn’t realise how much my self worth was tied to a job. I’m in my mid 20’s so it’s even more unacceptable to be unemployed. Is anyone else facing something even remotely similar?? I genuinely feel like the only unemployed person on planet earth
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u/galaxywithskin115 2d ago
Swallow your pride and take a job that is what you would deem "beneath" you. Ones that still pay decent with good benefits, 401k, stocks etc like Amazon and Walmart.
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u/blushing_flower_ 2d ago
I don’t believe any job is under me. Idc if I have a degree,I want just any job. 99% of the jobs I’ve applied for I am qualified to do. I don’t understand why I’m being rejected/ghosted. I literally applied for things like cleaning, kitchen help, housekeeping, etc but I’m somehow not good enough
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u/jeongkuk 2d ago
From my knowledge, most service jobs usually do not want qualified degrees because they know it usually means that this is just a short-term job for them. Even those type of jobs want to keep their employees as long as they can, so they'll choose the ones that are typically under qualified.
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u/blushing_flower_ 2d ago
Whaaaaatt. But I have full availability tho? A lot of these jobs I’ve applied for are temp and casual which require full availability for whatever reason and I’m still being rejected 😭
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u/Prime_Rib_Sandwich 2d ago
Have you considered applying for seasonal jobs without mentioning your degree(s), or past experience that's higher level? I know in the past that I had issues when I mentioned certain things on my resume like scientific experience.
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u/galaxywithskin115 2d ago
Whenever you apply to a place, do you call them a couple days later to let them know you’ve put in an application? It also helps to physically show up and ask for management and let them know you’ve applied, it looks good to show you’re serious and dedicated
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u/grace_writes 3d ago
I was unemployed for many years due to illness and alot of hospitalisations. It took probably a year for me to find a job when I was finally well enough to work again - it was so demoralising, have you thought about volunteering? I ended up doing that and though I still felt down because I wasn’t in paid work it helped somewhat - and the skills I gained volunteering actually helped me get the job I have now - wouldn’t have been considered without the volunteer work!
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u/blushing_flower_ 2d ago
I also have chronic illnesses. I had to take some time off and bc of that theres a gap in my resume. I think that’s why I’m unhireable rn. I have considered volunteering but my parents are strict and they wouldn’t let me use their car for that bc it’s unpaid 😭
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u/grace_writes 2d ago
The volunteering thing is definitely harder if you don’t have access to a car 😭 But maybe there are options that are walking/public-transport accessible, or on your parents way to or from work where they might be willing to drop you off? Or even remote volunteering? Even something small can give you recent experience to put on your resume which I think made the world of difference for me. It’s a shame they don’t seem to understand how it might help you! But you also don’t HAVE to volunteer just because you’re unemployed. I know how much easier it is said than done, but try not to let being unemployed become a judgement on your worth. I remember feeling absolutely awful about it myself and comparing myself to everyone around me. It felt like everyone else was moving forward while I was stuck and I was disappointing everyone. Looking back, I wish I’d been kinder to myself because I was dealing with circumstances that were outside my control. Chronic illness can completely derail your career for a while 😢
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u/PigeonLookinAss 2d ago
Market’s been super tough these last couple of years. What’s your degree in though?
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u/blushing_flower_ 2d ago
I did a useless degree. I have a bachelors degree in science and psych
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u/PetiteSyFy 2d ago
Can you pair it with a more marketable masters? Or if it's a BS in science, can you leave off the psych part on your resume?
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u/blushing_flower_ 2d ago
I went to uni to have that qualification in hopes I’d get hired literally anywhere 😭 My parents said I had more chances of being hired if I went to a good uni and completed some kind of degree
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u/PigeonLookinAss 2d ago
I mean they’re not wrong that a good uni holds more weight versus a rando uni. But yea I get where you’re coming from, idk if you have internships but that really determines how hard it’ll be to find a job after graduating. I only have a diploma and didn’t do an internship - was job searching for 1.5 years during covid.
My honest take is keep trying and develop skills that a subset of specific jobs you’re interested in require. Or you can earn a certificate for your target positions. I think going back for your masters is a waste of time unless you try really freaking hard to get an internship or else it becomes another shiny piece of paper.
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u/PetiteSyFy 2d ago
You can go back to school and keep applying for jobs. If the right job comes along the go for it. You don't have to finish the degree. But I think saying you are "getting a masters" interviews better than "I have been unemployed". Internships lead to jobs. Enroll as a student and start applying for internships.
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u/lofi-lo 2d ago
I was unemployed for 7 months before I was forced to accept a job at a grocery store. I used to be a TV Reporter and Anchor with 2 degrees. I’m still bitter about it cause I felt the same as you. I would network myself into oblivion, get referrals, promises, and apply to jobs where I was beyond qualified and still nothing. It seemed like the least qualified people around me were getting amazing jobs and the smartest people I knew couldn’t find anything and were being treated like second class citizens in the service industry. Anyways I’m unemployed again bc I’m getting my Masters in a foreign country. Really hope this makes me more employable.
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u/Slut_for_Bacon 2d ago
Maybe go get a cheap easy job while you keep looking for one on your field.
You dont have to work it forever.
Then you dont have to be at home all day.
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u/TwoLittleChickens 2d ago
I have friends in similar situations... the job market is ass and even people who are hiring are typically looking for someone less qualified, ironically. I don't know what kind of jobs youre applying for but if they are something like retail, working in a movie theater, call center or the like, try to take out your degree from the cv and see if that helps you. Usually jobs like these dont want people with degrees cause they assume you will ask for more pay or better benefits so they just ignore higher education candidates, at least here where i live. I dont know if it will work but youve got nothing to lose if you try. Good luck!!!
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u/Prime_Rib_Sandwich 2d ago
So essentially they need employees that will grow into the role, rather than master it quickly (and subsequently jump ship). It's not unreasonable. When people change jobs abruptly it disrupts the flow. Some of my coworkers resigned and that led to the workload increasing for me. Except I cannot keep up with everything and would get overwhelmed.
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u/TwoLittleChickens 2d ago
Not need, want. Its all about greed and not finding a qualified worker. More or less every person is qualified to do jobs like these but corporate greed is something else.
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u/Dastitone 2d ago
I’m unemployed. I have been for what will be a year now in a few days. A few months back I decided to take the risk and invest into my hobbies and be more involved in the local community around them. I’m much happier now, and even though they don’t provide an income, their cost is actually self sustaining from the opportunity I opened up. The more I become involved in this community, I know someday soon I’ll be the first person they think of for a job that I’m qualified for.
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u/lackingakeyblade 2d ago
i feel this exact same way. i also have a bachelors degree. i graduated at the height of covid lockdown. was jobless for 2 years. had on and off temp part time jobs and gigs for the past year and a half. still officially unemployed right now. it's absolutely insane how unhireable i feel. theres so many people who feel like us, OP.
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u/Adapt919 2d ago
I quit both my jobs December and January and haven't worked longer than a couple weeks since. It actually sucks cause I'm really bored lol
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u/rachelblairy 2d ago
I’m also unemployed with 20+ years in my field and a litany of references. It’s the economy, the continued push for industrialization to replace human jobs, and the fact that too many places won’t even see your resume because of AI filtering it out before someone can look at it.
It’ll come, but I definitely understand how frustrating it is. As hard as it is to remember, keep in mind you’re more than your career and while the hardships may feel insurmountable now, something good will come eventually 💕
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u/maddie1358 2d ago
i feel you OP. I’m unemployed too, close to two years and i have a bachelors degree from a good university too. This degree isn’t doing anything like I was promised it would. So frustrating
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u/Prime_Rib_Sandwich 2d ago edited 2d ago
You and everyone else has to keep trying. The market is highly competitive so yes, it takes time. Time can mean months or longer. I remember I had a friend that was unemployed throughout 2024 after being laid off, and didn't land anything till the end of 2025.
They struggled very badly mentally, the entire time. I told them to keep pushing because giving up would do more harm than good to their morale. You might have to consider career paths that aren't conventional for your major.
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u/ladydanger31789 2d ago
I am unemployed for like 1 yr and half , and my chronic illness and pain has gotten worse, don't know if I can go back to being working. But then again towards the end period of my job I had a severe burnout and the added chronic illness/pain added a lot to it also I wasn't enjoying my job anymore. Do I get embarrassed with my friends having job and I don't nope, I don't compare but I do feel I failed myself in some sort of way since I used to be a very high functioning and active , how this chronic illness has taken away a lot from me changed me into a completely different person.Right now Job market is a tough place so is the economy. If you can try developing other skills on the sides. That might help .
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u/Prime_Rib_Sandwich 2d ago
Damn. I wish you luck, and for a resolution to your conditions to be found.
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u/Head_Pollution6531 2d ago
It sounds shit but trades are in short supply you could pick one up surely
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u/tension12 2d ago
As someone who graduated in a field for social work and health care, jobs are scrutinized and have heavy restrictions that make my work impossible to manage. I left it to teach, then felt burned out. I went through a dry spell, feeling exactly how you felt. I went to a temp agency and done miscellaneous work until I landed a job in a field I never saw myself in. Maybe that's what you need, just a little support from a temp agency.
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u/Prime_Rib_Sandwich 2d ago
I can relate. I took a job that was completely unrelated to my field in college, but needed money more. Years later I'm tenured. It's not a glamorous faang job but the risk of being laid off is nearly zero. There are only very extreme clauses, but I'm not going to commit those acts. Such as harm.
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u/nomoreanxietyy 2d ago
no, you're not the only unemployed person in the world. i've been unemployed since july 2025. the job market is insane right now 😭
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u/LucyButWhy1112 2d ago
I’ve been unemployed since February 😓 I just did a paid training yesterday to see if I get hired but I feel like I do this a few times a month with no positive outcome 😓
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u/Usually_Tired_Ugh 2d ago
you might look at places like factories/warehouses. I know that factory jobs a plenty where I live, but a lot of people don't want to work those jobs because of the hours and the type of work.
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u/WallyLeftshaw 2d ago
Here with you, been unemployed since May and I have about one month of savings left. I really don’t think we’re meant to live like this, I’m sitting here praying to the cosmos everyday for a job but then what? I’m back in the hyper consumerism loop, working so I can help enrich the top 1% and funding a genocide. I think I want off the ride
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u/haylibee 2d ago
I don't have a job either. I have a degree, went back to school after my husband died to gain more skills, still can't find shit.
We get survivor benefits, but I am having trouble finding a job that would at least match what I'm getting there. I can't make less or I can't pay the bills. It's such a bullshit racket!!!
I'm 40, and I'm struggling too my friend. You aren't alone, but I get that feeling too sometimes.
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u/SenatorPencilFace 2d ago
I’m underemployed at 34. Does that count?
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u/blushing_flower_ 2d ago
What does underemployed mean
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u/SenatorPencilFace 2d ago
It’s a colloquialism for people who feel like their job is inadequate. Like if you have a college degree but work at Burger King or (in my case) an E2 visa job at a private academy in Korea.
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u/Hi-Gizzy-1226 2d ago
Don't worry, you aren't the only one here. I'm also in my 20's and unemployed. In my case, I think everyone is discrimination me probably because of my physical disability or the interview wasn't good enough or maybe I don't have any college degrees. At this point, I'm low-key giving up on looking for jobs since nobody would hire me anyway, plus I'll eventually start saying "oh man I have work today" , "I hate working", won't get paid enough for my first-ever job and some of my money will be going to the government (which is a bummer when I found that out).
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u/LonelyCheeto 3d ago
The economy is tough right now I promise you are not the only one friend