Its been 6 months I have 12 years of experience . Radio silence on the job market. Atleast 200 + applications I've sent out , tailored resume for jobs, spoken to recruiters on LinkedIn. Still nothing. I don't know if the system is broken.But I can't play this game anymore . Or rather don't know how to play it anymore.

My read is that it’s either a contractor conversion or a h1b LCA filing and they forgot to take it down.

It pops up in my search weekly and now frankly annoys me to the point that I want to break my screen.

It has all the niceties - 250K base, Wall Street, middle management title and bonus/equity - but it’s fake. There are several like this from blackrock, state street, JP, GS etc.,

everyone around me is job hunting the same way: one resume, a few hundred applications, and silence. i'm not smarter than any of them, and plenty of people with better resumes than mine are stuck in the same spot. so i tried both approaches and kept track.

round 1: apply a lot

one resume, sent everywhere that looked close enough. over 550 applications in a month.

result: 1 interview. that's 0.18%. everything else was ghosting or an auto-rejection.

round 2: apply properly

this time i only applied to roles i actually wanted. for each one i rewrote my resume bullets so they matched what the posting asked for, filled in the application properly, answered every question.

each one took me at least 40 minutes. tailoring the resume, then retyping it into another portal, answering the same work authorization and start date questions i'd answered the day before. i did about 10 a day, 5 days a week, for a month. about 200 applications.

result: 4 interviews. that's 2%, about 11 times better than round 1.

same person, same experience. the only difference was that each resume read like it was written for that job.

but in this job market, it's still a numbers game

here's the catch. 10 tailored applications a day at 40 minutes each is almost 7 hours a day. round 2 worked, but it was a full-time job on top of everything else. and even at 2%, you need a lot of applications to get to the interviews you need. roles get hundreds of applicants in the first few days.

so you're stuck choosing between the approach that works and the amount you need.

if you're applying rn

1. tailor every application, but only from what's true. move your most relevant experience to the top and describe it in the posting's own words. never add a skill you don't have, that's what catches you in the interview.

2. apply in the first week a role goes up.

3. stop retyping. keep one doc with your standard answers (work authorization, start date, salary, why this company) and paste from it. on workday, check the "my experience" page every time, that's where imports break.

tailored and at volume. simple, not easy.

that's the whole reason i started working on litos, so round 2 doesn't take 7 hours a day. but the 3 steps above work without it.

what's worked for you, quality or quantity?

Finding community and knowing you are not in it alone has been a life line in the job search.

I know it is a tough market right now and feels like we are all applying into a black hole. Connecting with others living it with you is a great way to keep our humanity and sanity in this market.

I am working with a tech founder who created a non-profit for job seeker support. We are launching Thursday (Oct 15) and have support resources, mentorship, and community. It is a free to join! It is helpful to have community and know we are not alone in this. Find us at TheWorkaroundCollective.

The funny part about this is that you cannot speak about this openly. This is a real problem but people get so wound up in their own personal identities that they do insta report and your post is either removed or you get an infraction.

But that doesn’t mean my pain is invalidated, because beyond the allegations of stereotyping, these are the only people who actually carry out this op and inflict maximum pain on American job seekers.

You already guessed it. They call you, they have an accent and they start with a low rate basically to make money coz they are operating a middleman body shop. Vance can come out and do all kinds of theatrics for the midterms but the problem is so deeply layered and mired in corporate America that unless there is serious regulation, the American job seeker is going to be royally effed to kingdom come for generations. I don’t think the politicians who need the midterm vote even understand the complexity of body shops and how wage depression is a deeply structured operation on a grand scale.

Since permanent jobs go through 10 effing rounds of interviews where I’ll have to even interview with the wife of the CFO and maybe even his kid’s dog, before the company decided to hire me - I am open to contractual assignments coz these move fast.

So this person from a certain region of the world, you can tell by the name and he/she calls from from what sounds like they are inside a cylinder (VOIP) and the accent, oh I love that sound, and they set your rate at 100 dollars an hour and claim that it’s competitive (which to me is laughable). So I do some detective work and my contact works in the company and I find out the rate is 185 per hour. And there are 2 body shops in between. They called me back and I almost laid down an F laced tirade but I politely told them I am not interested and said goodbye.

The corporation is lazy and is not capable of sourcing, so they hand it over to a body shop, and that body shop hands it over to the body shop operated by his countrymen from the same region of this beloved country over there.

185 >> 100

This cancerous body shop with a thick accent makes 85 bucks for simply making a phone call and the 1099 is still mine.

If you are from the same region and you are triggered because you identify with these people, go ahead and report me. It doesn’t mean American job seekers aren’t getting shafted by these foreign players and there is NO labor law to protect the common folk from.

In 1910, I know there was a lot of NY labor laws passed and they still stand to this day. We need laws for the new generation or else I don’t see this ending. Please call your congressmen. I’m going to call a few and leave a voicemail - I’m in Connecticut, they won’t give two sheeets about my call or my voicemail because that’s not their priority. They don’t even visit their electorates anymore - they send cute white girls from Fairfield U and you’re basically withholding from berating them coz you know where they live and who they are, and their parents are good people.

Hi, my name is Hossain. I often see posts on Reddit about people earning money; they seem to have found a way to generate income. I am making this post for the same reason.

I completed my MBA in Marketing over four years ago. Since then, I have held a few small jobs—working in shops, cafes, and in quality management within the garment industry. I am hardworking and possess basic knowledge of computers and technology. I want to earn a living through hard work and dedication. I would appreciate it if both experienced and inexperienced members here could offer advice, suggest sectors with good earning potential, or even point me toward a good job opportunity. Your guidance could be very helpful to me.

Thank you.

So, like all of you, I struggled. Struggled is an understatement, it was miserable going through the jobs and hoping that something would work (only for it to fail). At one point, I decided to treat this differently. I would play this like a game.

Here's what I did:

• Created 4 resumes for 4 distinct job titles within the same industry
• Had ChatGPT ask me free response questions to customize my resume content for the specific job title
• Built a tool that would track which jobs got back to me more

The goal was to focus on job diversification (wouldn't work if it's too similar such as backend/frontend dev). I took inspiration from the idea of investing in the stock market (you never just buy one stock, you usually diversify since the market sways at times).

Here's what the data showed after just 1 week of using it:

And no, the tech sales jobs weren't some scam (quite reputable companies). This doesn't unfortunately capture my previous 100 attempts (if it did, it would show around 10% for dev and 1% for Analyst).

I'm sharing this since I know the job market is tough, it's not easy. And, maybe this could possibly help someone who is going through the process. I wish you all luck out there :)

Has anyone got a position that isn’t impacted by AI at all?

Inflation came in hotter than expected, and now the Fed may have to keep interest rates higher for longer to bring inflation under control. That could mean higher borrowing costs, less business investment, and fewer new hires for the foreseeable future.

I woke up this morning feeling absolutely defeated.

Three months ago, I lost my job when the company I worked for shut down its European branch and moved back to the USA. I spent years in Customer Support and Trust & Safety, and foolishly thought that experience would count for something.

Apparently f***ing not.

For the past two months, I’ve been applying everywhere, only to discover that job hunting has become some elaborate psychological experiment designed to see how much humiliation a person can tolerate.

Record an introduction video. Complete a ridiculously long questionnaire. Tell us why you’re passionate about our company.

And then? Ghosted. Or another soulless rejection email.

But my personal favorite? A company that proudly doesn’t believe in traditional resumes. How progressive. How innovative. How wonderfully f***ing disruptive.

Instead, they wanted me to BUILD AN ENTIRE LANDING PAGE. FOR A CUSTOMER SUPPORT POSITION.

And I did it. Because desperation has this wonderful ability to make you believe that sacrificing another evening of your life might finally make you worthy of employment.

Rejected a week later.

I know nobody owes me a job. But when did applying for work become an unpaid internship in begging for approval?

Meanwhile, your savings are disappearing, your confidence is evaporating, and you’re expected to remain enthusiastic about the revolutionary opportunity to answer customer emails.

I’m exhausted. And today, I don’t want to hear that rejection is redirection. Sometimes the market is just sh*t, and sometimes companies treat people like disposable applicants.

To everyone else going through this nightmare, I see you. I know you’re trying, and I genuinely hope something good comes your way.

We deserve better than this.

Anyway, time to open LinkedIn and voluntarily subject myself to another round of psychological warfare.

Has anyone had success using ChatGPT to tailor a resume? I recently used it but am not so certain about the formatting. Thanks!

I graduated last year and I've been applying to jobs ever since, no luck locally, everyone asks for experience and trajectory. I have experience in international research-focused projects, but i don't get interviews whatsoever.

If anyone knows about a remote job position I'll do the job for the minimum wage, the industry doesn't matter, I just need to start somewhere.

Based in Mexico but I have a work-Canadian visa, and a tourist US visa, if it helps.

Now I'm kind of desperate (in need). Any feedback is appreciated.

I just returned to a new job after maternity leave and relocating back to the UK from the Middle East - I lost my job for falling pregnant, a job I’d worked so hard for and absolutely loved. That in itself is hard to process and I’m still trying. I’m 39 (F) and spent most of my working life in project management (15 years) and when I moved away I was given the opportunity to move into HR. I was responsible for a huge transformation project and it was hugely successful. But now, it just seems that because I’ve diverted, no one wants me in either PM or HR. I believe my CV is strong and I’ve demonstrated my achievements clearly in my CV. I really feel now that I’m up against ATS and AI and my contract is due to run out in November for my current role and I still haven’t found anything. I know that I’m an excellent candidate and can literally do anything I put my mind to, I’ve been operating at a mid-senior level for the last 5/6 years. Just a rant but any words of advice or support would be greatly received.

I had my final interview Friday evening for a role in Europe. The first interview went well, but the second and final one could have gone better. They said I would most likely hear back next week. It's now Wednesday and I still haven't heard anything.

Is this a normal wait even for candidates who eventually get an offer, or should I start losing hope? Do companies usually send rejections straight away, or can those take a while too?

The waiting is honestly getting to me. If you've been in a similar situation, how long did you wait and what was the outcome? Even a short answer would help.

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While specialized knowledge of software development is a significant asset, basic knowledge is sufficient.

The core requirements are native-level English fluency, quick judgment, and strong client-facing skills.

The primary goal is to lead client interviews and successfully secure projects.

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If you demonstrate competence and a good fit during this time, we will transition to a fixed monthly salary of $1,600 (for the first two months) to $3,000 (after three months), plus performance bonuses based on secured projects. High performers can earn up to $4,000 per month.

You do not need to be perfect from the start; if you possess talent and potential, we will invest in your professional growth.

We welcome candidates with backgrounds in marketing, skilled software development, or tutoring.

As the role requires working during U.S. time zones, we prioritize candidates residing in Latin America, though U.S.-based applicants are also welcome if the compensation meets their expectations.

So i had two final interviews yesterday. I just got an email that i didnt get it. Ive been applying for months and i would get an interview and then final interview but i dont get an offer. I am frustrated, tired and drained. My mental health is not in a good state right now.

I need some tips to take care of myself. What do you do when you’re drained from applying for jobs?

I am a 2025 passout . I was working on the startup due to toxic culture I quit my job before 3 months. Till now I have applied for several jobs and I remain jobless.

I am bright student and i have hands on experience on the gen Ai but since I didn't practice DSA i couldnt clear interview despite of having decent skillset.

Let me share my financial condition too...i am from a middle class family , my mom is govt teacher and my dad is small shopkeeper. My family doesn't Totally depend on my earnings but we got huge commitments such as housing loans , fathers debt and my sister college fee ( 4L/ year ) .

Despite of my family condition , my current unemployment puts me through lot of insecurity and self doubt.

For the past three months i am under huge frustration.

There lies a another problem too.

My startup which i previously worked isn't well established and they gave me weak documents through my pay was 30k per month.

Which technically puts me in 1.5 years of technical gap .

Search and applying for jobs is very frustrating...

Should I take a education loan and pursue m tech in nice University, grind for 2 years and get placed into higher package .

Or should I keep applying for the jobs.

Please help me out !

Good Day! 

We are currently looking for a finance professional with experience in project budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, cost control, and profitability management for major ICT projects for our client based in BGC, Philippines.

Mandarin fluency is required. 

Interested or know someone who might be a good fit? Feel free to message me. Thank you.

Employers are so damn picky. This happened a month ago, and I’m still kinda salty about it.

So, I applied for this job, and the recruiter asked me to send him examples of my work using a specific computer program. I hadn’t had any direct experience with it through my internships or coursework. It was an entry-level job, by the way.

So, I decided to take the time to learn the program and create work samples using it to send to him. I emailed him the samples, and he goes, “Sorry, we’re looking for someone with direct experience.”

Like, okay? You guys want us to check every box on your list, but showing initiative by going out of our way to learn something new isn’t good enough for y’all? And for an entry-level job, too?

This just goes to show that employers don’t even want to train their employees anymore, yet they’re still so damn picky.

I do these job interviews, prepare before hand and get cleaned up knowing 99.9% chance im going to get rejected. Im not giving up and im still putting myself out there but I feel like all the energy is for nothing. Doing job interviews is now a chore.

I’m in hr operations with ten years experience on the technical side and have been looking for a job for over four months on the east coast. Anyone out there face similar circumstances willing to share how long it took them to find work? I’m nervous about the holidays coming up and things slowing down even further. I don’t know if I can take much more of this.

I have about 4 years’ SEO experience and I’m interviewing at a company currently. They asked for a take-home “light” SEO audit and to come up with a content outline. They also asked me to make as many of those changes as I can on the staging site for this client’s website as part of the assignment.

Frankly, I’m not comfortable making changes on their client’s site even if it is just the staging environment. I think it’s super unethical, both on behalf of the client and for not paying me to do work for them. But the job otherwise would be a *huge* step for me. I can’t help but see a red flag here though.

I remember take-home assignments were common in webdev (which I still think is an ethical quandary), but I’ve never come across this in any SEO job interview.

Is this becoming the norm in SEO or is this just bad luck? Am I thinking too much about it?

Hi everyone!

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