——Ravenclaw 1997
—Anonymous, 49-year-old, female, Tennessee
—Anonymous, 37-year-old, female, Ohio
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“I found a niche job in a professional field, but I figured that within a year, I would make something of myself in a big city known for my industry, or I would move again. I interviewed for a position on the West Coast, and after four rounds, including three separate group interviews, I was hooked.
After the Ghost debacle, I really started to reevaluate my decision to stay. I’m in the United States on a green card, having been here during Trump’s first term, and I’m already worried about what my future will look like if I stay for another four years. I quickly depleted my savings, just to pay for rent, food and transportation, and decided to move back home.
It’s still hard to come back here. I moved in with my parents, my furniture was put into storage, and I received more job rejections than calls from recruiters. I was optimistic for the first few months, but now I feel worthless. I just hope the next 12 months aren’t as bad as the past. “
——Anonymous, female, 38 years old
—Anonymous, 31-year-old, female, Michigan
——Anonymous, Washington State, 45 years old, female
“To be clear, I’m not above working in service or retail. I’ve done those jobs in the past and would be happy to even get an email back. I’ve completely depleted my savings and am feeding my family with expired food from ‘bump’ stores. I’ve had two promising interviews this week and I’m trying to stay optimistic, but I’ve never been more humble. Good luck.”
—Anonymous, 42-year-old, female, Maryland
——Anonymous, 54 years old
——Anonymous, 32 years old, female, Pennsylvania
-anonymous
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——Anonymous, 35 years old, female, Ohio
“I was laid off from that full-time job last week in less than four months. Now I’m at a weird crossroads: Am I going to fall back into the cycle of rejection and find a job? Or am I going to risk what little money I have and start a business? Both paths are bleak, and if I ever hoped to one day buy a house or start a family, I would be crushed.”
—Anonymous, 27, Arizona
——Anonymous, 30 years old, female, Ohio
“AI is being used heavily. Some companies are transparent, claiming they are using it to review resumes and summarize recruiter calls. Others even require you to opt-in to use it. Some are directly using AI assistant video calls as the first round of the interview process. It’s been a horrible experience every time – and their summaries are never accurate.”
—Anonymous, 31 years old, female, United States
—Anonymous, 40-year-old, female, Seattle
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-Anonymous, 46-year-old, female, Seattle, WA
—Anonymous, 41, female, Metro Detroit area
“This year, my husband and I have decided to stay home and take care of our preschool children. If I can’t find a job by next school year, I may start working as an emergency substitute for our school district to be able to make some money. We are lucky that my husband is able to support us with his income, but we are just scraping by. It’s not sustainable.”
—Anonymous, 37 years old, female, Washington state
“Having to constantly adjust your resume to fit the job description or even try to get someone to call you is difficult. It’s frustrating, exhausting, and overwhelmingly in debt every day.”
—Anonymous, 41-year-old, female, Illinois
—Anonymous, 37 years old
——Anonymous, 47 years old
—Anonymous, 32-year-old, female, Michigan
“There is rampant fraud in the application process right now. Companies are mining data so they create fake jobs to get your resume and personal information, which allows them to create fraudulent candidates. Companies now have to be wary of fraud, and when they are skeptical of an applicant, they tend not to reach out.
Companies are also looking for perfect candidates because they know there is more talent available. Instead of settling for candidates meeting 75-90% of the requirements, say you must meet 100-110%. The hiring process is also slower because more talent is available and companies take weeks to guide candidates through their process. In the past, the typical interview process took 2-4 weeks; now it’s 3-8. “
—Anonymous, 45-year-old, female, Chicago
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—Anonymous, 28-year-old, female, South Dakota
——Anonymous, 40 years old, female, New York
—Anonymous, 31-year-old male, Iowa
“My resume reads like Swiss cheese and every time it’s hard to explain why I’m 40 Too many years and stuck on the corporate ladder. I’m deeply dissatisfied with agency life. Instead, I’m going to spend the next six months on Medicaid, collecting unemployment benefits, and launching a tech startup with two partners because I don’t believe there’s any value left in advertising. The biggest silver lining is this: I have to be in the middle of all the posturing and measuring dicks in Super Bowl commercials, but ask me six months later if I give in and take another agency job to get back on my feet.
—Anonymous, 44-year-old, female, Chicago
“AI is placing job ads, AI is checking resumes looking for keywords, and they are being told to withdraw applications only if keywords come up. Most jobs could be filled if someone actually looked at your application instead of letting a computer decide who gets hired! That’s just a small part of how crazy the job market is right now.
The friend I was laid off from had a PhD and now no longer teaches at a university but drives a forklift at an Amazon factory. He said he gave up looking for any job that came close to what he was earning before, so he started driving a forklift because he learned how to operate large machinery in the Army. He was frustrated. He was trying to pay off his student loans by driving a forklift. “
-anonymous
—Anonymous, 38 years old, male, United States
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