I'm a Bachelor-degreed Talent Acquisition Manager with strong experience in my field. At the end of February, I was laid off.

2 Comments

1. Tina MorenoApril 9,2025 at 7:09PM UTC

   You are absolutely not alone in this—and I want to acknowledge how much effort you’ve already put in. From career coaching to targeted networking to tweaking your materials, you’re doing everything right in a market that’s incredibly unpredictable and saturated—especially for HR and talent acquisition professionals right now.

   The reality is, even strong candidates are facing headwinds. As someone in HR myself, I can say that a lot of companies have jobs posted but aren’t actually moving forward due to budget freezes, internal reorgs, or general uncertainty around hiring. So yes, the “ghosting” or lack of traction may have nothing to do with your qualifications or the strength of your outreach.

   That said, a few things to consider:
   Check if Your Coach Offers a Guarantee or Placement Support- If you're paying out of pocket for career coaching, see if your coach has any accountability built into their services—whether that’s mock interviews with feedback, real-time application tracking, or connections to actual roles. Without that, you may not be getting the full value you deserve. I have a great rec if you need one.

   Leverage Industry-Specific Platforms- Go beyond LinkedIn and Indeed. For HR/Talent Acquisition roles, check out:
   PeopleOps Jobs
   HRJobs by SHRM
   HRCI Job Board
   Local SHRM chapter job boards
   HRGirlfriends

   These are often more targeted, and the postings may be fresher or more reflective of real hiring intent.

   Deepen the Networking- You’re already doing a lot, but try adding more structure:
   -Set a goal to have 3–5 informational interviews per week. Focus on other HR professionals—even if they’re not hiring, they might know who is.
   -Attend local or virtual HR events, SHRM chapter meetings, or industry-specific panels where you can be seen as a peer, not just as a job seeker.

   Directly Message Job Posters on LinkedIn- If you see a job that aligns, and the hiring manager or job poster is listed—send a brief, polite message introducing yourself. Sometimes a short note can move your resume to the top of the pile.

   Stay Open, But Guard Your Energy- Consider contract, project-based, or fractional roles if full-time isn’t surfacing right away. It keeps your skills sharp, your confidence intact, and your resume current. And yes—please give yourself grace. What you’re doing is hard, and we’re all navigating a very different hiring environment than we were even a year ago.

   You’re doing all the right things. The right door will open—and when it does, you’ll be ready. Rooting for you!

2. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 10,2025 at 3:05AM UTC

   There is no hidden job market. If someone is telling you there is, I really hope you're not paying that person good cash money because I would be cautious of any advice they would provide.

   There are, occasionally, confidential searches. They are a very small percentage of open jobs. It would typically be a situation of the person being replaced does not know yet that they're being replaced or that the person leaving is so very senior that their leaving the company would have the ability to say, move the stock price.

   I have three to four meetings every week where I have to report out on the status of all my current searches. And then hiring managers pinging me asking me if we have any new candidates.

   Why in the world would a company keep positions hidden. We pay a ton of money to post our positions to as many job sites as possible and I'm always looking for new resources to publicize to my open positions.

   I'm sorry you're struggling with this exceptionally tough job market. It is taking many jobseekers many months, sometimes a year to find a new position. HR is one of the segments that has been especially hard hit. Check the SHRM website - they have a job board. Also check your local SHRM chapter - they may also have a job board.