Job Seekers Are Opening Up About What It's Really Like Looking For Work Currently, And It's Honestly Super Disheartening
Warning: This post contains brief mentions of depression and anxiety.
Looking for jobs in today's day and age can be unpredictable — some people may gain a new position quickly, but many others could face obstacles along the road to a new role.
I recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share with me what it's really like applying for work right now. Here are some of the submissions I got in response.
1."I've been applying for 10 months — haven't even had an interview. Driving for DoorDash is not enough anymore, but what's a guy to do?"
—esjm
2."The 'teacher shortage' is a disingenuous way to say that school systems are only looking for new people they can pay less than deserved and for positions that no human should have to take. I'm a 22-year veteran, and trying to move out of my current toxic environment is impossible because nobody will even interview someone they'd have to pay more than entry-level and who is closer to retirement than not."
"And I've been teacher of the year three times, have always received high marks on evaluations, and am highly qualified. If there was a real 'shortage,' I'd have had some calls in the four years I've been looking."
3."I’ve been applying for jobs since December. It’s hard to find a job fresh out of college that aligns with my degree when every job is looking for multiple years of experience, and there are little to no opportunities for entry-level job positions."
4."It's been awful. I'm a 17-year military veteran with the same amount of time and experience in the HR field, and I'm two months away from graduating with a master's in HR. I've had one 'pre-screening' phone call about an application. Out of dozens. No solid interviews. I'm at my wit's end. It feels awful. Terrible."
5."My friend has been applying for jobs since 2020 and still hasn't gotten anything. She has a degree in political science and a real estate license. She's applied to law firms, libraries, museums, real estate agencies, Target, small retail businesses, and nothing. They either want someone experienced, they ghost her after an interview, or they're sketchy. She just signed up to be a dog walker, and even that took two weeks to get one customer."
6."It’s so disheartening. I keep applying for jobs that I know I’m qualified for and know I would be good at, but there’s always someone more qualified and more experienced than me."
7."It’s rough out there. I’m educated and graduated college, and I have been in my field for a few years, but that doesn’t seem to be enough for people. In my field, we use CAD (computer-aided drafting). There are multiple CAD products that do the same thing, and each company wants you to have previous experience using whichever one they use. Like, experience is not everything! People are capable of learning new things, especially if they are similar."
8."It’s impossible. I’m immunocompromised, and the world is so insistent on pretending COVID doesn’t exist. I can’t even find jobs to apply for where I won’t be putting my health and/or life at risk."
9."I have been applying since 2021, and it is so difficult. I have almost tried everything and even moved states to find better opportunities but no luck so far."
10."I live in the Boulder/Denver area and work as a registered behavior technician. I just got a new job a few months ago, and the application process was a breeze. I posted my resume on Indeed and got five responses on the first day alone. From then, it was just choosing which company was best for me. It was extremely easy to get interviews; I didn't even have to ask — they all reached out to me. I got multiple offers which led me to ask my favorite company for more money, which they agreed to. I was at my new job less than a week after applying, and I love it!"
"The entire process was SUPER EASY and SUPER FAST. I should also mention that I am a recent college grad!"
11."I've been applying to jobs since May 2022 when I graduated, and I still haven't found anything in my field. Most places never even send a proper rejection, they just ghost you. Hell, I've been ghosted from the few places where I managed to get an interview. I feel like I'm just sending my resume into the void because who knows if these resume-scanning robots aren't just throwing out my application for arbitrary reasons? It's demoralizing to be constantly rejected from even the most basic positions that I know I'm perfectly capable of handling."
"Recently, I've been trying to focus more on networking with college alumni and finding connections at the organizations I'm most interested in. Most of the people I've talked to stressed that networking is the most important part of the job search, and it's just not something I'm good at, so it's been quite the struggle. I'm only 22, but I feel so stuck."
12."Ghosting and scams are out of control! It’s extremely disheartening out there. I was unemployed for almost six months — that’s half of a year of having unbelievable stress and anxiety, not to mention the depression. Half a year wasted! Life completely on pause."
13."Finding a job and filling out applications is the worst thing ever. I’ve applied for over 100 jobs in six months, gotten a few interviews, and then a, 'Sorry, we’ve hired someone with more experience.' And every place you apply to wants their own personal cover letter that talks about how you fit what they are looking for. Each place asks almost all the same questions, and I’m beginning to feel like I can’t answer them genuinely anymore. And my unemployment got denied. So me and my two kids are seriously struggling. I hate it."
14."It's repetitive. It's tedious. I especially hate those job applications that want you to submit your CV or resume and a cover letter then ask you to fill in a form where you're basically repeating everything in your CV or resume and cover letter. Do recruiters even read them? I've been applying for jobs for over two years now, and aside from the occasional glimmer of interest that fizzles out from people hiring, nothing has come of it."
"It's so bad that my mum thinks I don't apply for job postings that she sends me, and now she wants me to Bcc her in all my applications just to be sure. Sometimes I just want to beg a company to hire me, and I mean BEG — throw my dignity out the door and grovel. The cost of living is astronomical worldwide, and I can't get a job. It's depressing being unemployed. You need experience to get hired but can't get hired without experience. ... How do you get experience if you need it to get it??"
15."I’m a third-year international law student in the UK, and securing a graduate position within a law firm is like trying to walk on water; it feels impossible. The law student-to-graduate solicitor ratio is significantly disproportionate, forcing many of my fellow students to give up on pursuing a legal career and doing something else entirely. It’s especially hard for international students because we can’t enter the industry at smaller, regional law firms because they don’t do visa sponsorships, so the bigger law firms are where we look to."
"But it’s hard when literally thousands of both native and international students are competing for 45 spots within a single law firm. Times like these have me wishing I was a nepo baby fr."
16."It seems the more experience you have, the better skill set, the more you're scrutinized. ... It's like gatekeeping — you have to prove that you know your profession over and above what's actually required only to have them poke holes in your experience. I've been working since the late '90s. ... At this point, how much should I have to prove that I'm a capable candidate?!"
17."Rightfully so, everyone is looking to make more money. There may be a lot of open positions — but they are likely entry-level. Any position higher than a team lead is highly competitive. I have been looking for a position more in line with my degree for several months. Even with several years' experience, an education, and making it through several rounds (and weeks) of interviews and assessments, I either remain one of many or I'm offered well below what my skills are worth. Employers are looking to pay master's level employees between $50K and $60K — which is pocket change in this economy."
"I am lucky enough to have a job that pays the bills right now, but it is incredibly emotionally exhausting due to the nature of the work. It's like having two full-time positions and still treading water. The worst part is that employers will string you along for weeks at a time only to make it the last round of interviews and then just go radio silent. You get all amped up and then end up back at square one. I just want to be able to afford my apartment and also maybe enjoy being alive occasionally. It’s not a big ask."
18."It’s awful. Since Christmas 2022, I have submitted well over 100 job applications for positions that I’m qualified for (and ones that I’m overqualified for) and got one interview, but the position was filled before I had my interview. I have two trade school certifications (CNA and ASE), and I still can’t get hired. It’s so hard to remain hopeful that things will get better for me when it seems like nothing has gone in my favor."
19."I have a physical disability, which by default makes it harder for me to get hired, despite my education and experience. I've been overtly discriminated against in the past by employers, and it's gut-wrenching."
"My company is restructuring, and I'm looking for other opportunities and am filled with dread because I know it will be much harder for me to get hired as a disabled person."
20."The number of scammers out there looking for vulnerable people to exploit — I'm talking about YOU, 'company' looking for WFH admin when they really want to sell you a franchise, the people who pose as headhunters and recruiters just to get hold of your personal information and the genuine recruiters who aren't interested in finding the right person for their roles — they just want to up their sales."
"I was looking at career options recently and interviewed for a role, but they wouldn't tell me the salary. I asked outright in the interview, and it was over £10K less than what I earn now. They knew my salary expectations from my initial chat with them and were surprised when I told them I was withdrawing my application. I don't know about anyone else, but I work for the money, not just for the kudos of working with such a 'great employer.' Stay safe, people — if you're contacted on LinkedIn or other places by recruiters, do your research before sending them any kind of information."
21."I can tell you from experience that job hunting these days is a NIGHTMARE! I was out of work for two years during the pandemic. I finally landed a part-time job that I love, but the work is very sporadic, and I'm now looking for a second job to supplement it. Job hunting is tough because employers are getting pickier these days than they used to be, and the hiring process is much more impersonal."
"You can't just go to the places you would like to work at and apply in person; most employers want everything to be done online, and if they don't like the looks of your resume, they won't give you a second thought, even if they've never actually seen you or talked to you. Also, resumes are often run through scanners looking for specific keywords, and if your resume doesn't contain those keywords, it will get tossed without an actual human being reading it! Also, if you want to go back to school to brush up on your job skills, you won't get ANY financial aid unless you're going for a degree!"
22."I’m a 20-year-old woman with two years of warehouse experience. It may not be much, but it feels like a lot to me. I’m OSHA forklift certified, speak some Mandarin (which helps sometimes in logistics), and am willing and able to carry my weight at work. I just recently dropped out of college for financial reasons and have applied to 15+ warehouse jobs while living with my parents. I couldn’t be more grateful for their understanding while I job hunt."
"The thing is, I’m applying to warehouse jobs in hospitals, where some medical experience may be required. In all TWO interviews I’ve had, I have been upfront about my lack of knowledge as far as medical equipment goes but am more than willing to learn because I know I am capable of getting the job done anywhere I’m put. Those interviews were about a month ago (last week of March), and after two follow-up emails for both companies, one rejected me, and the other is still 'in the interview process' and 'will let me know ASAP.' ):"
23."I just graduated from college. I wish more people understood that the issue isn’t finding jobs. It’s the fact that a lot of these jobs want you to have a certain amount of experience coming into that job. I am also completely blind, so now more and more people aren’t quick to make software or even their office spaces accessible. I wish more companies could understand that blind people can work. We are capable, it’s just that we need things to be made accessible."
"And personally I don’t think that that is asking too much. In order for me to succeed in the workplace, I am entitled to the tools and materials that I would need to get the job done. So it’s been hard to try and feel confident in getting a job when most places don’t want to take the extra time to create alternatives to visual things."
