I give up.

77 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 30,2026 at 11:04PM UTC

   Unicorns fill the saturated unemployed labor market. Employers have become spoiled. They wait and interview for months because chances are their Unicorns is around the corner. They don't just want a 99%perfect candidate. They have their sights on a 110%

2. Cameron PhillipsMay 5,2026 at 12:15PM UTC

   Worse than that, the unicorn they want already knows how to do the job. They are looking for someone they don’t have to train, then when they don’t train them, get frustrated that the new hire isn’t producing the same results as their predecessor.

3. Becky HarborthMay 5,2026 at 12:40PM UTC

   100% agree! It’s also difficult to cater your resume! Saturated indeed!

4. Susan333May 6,2026 at 3:35PM UTC

   I wonder how many of these unicorns that match the job specs perfectly aren't faking it as well. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is the case. Those employers get what they deserve when they find out the "unicorn" isn't all that they lived up to be.

5. AnonymousMay 1,2026 at 10:38AM UTC

   I could not agree more! I'm a middle-aged professional who's had over 10 years int he banking/financial/retirement industry and can't find gainful employment- at a place where people don't drink, swear, wear shorts to work, and I'm now making the same salary I did 20 years ago! Shit show is putting it mildly!

6. AnonymousMay 3,2026 at 6:41PM UTC

   It sucks

   as much we love technology, there are some things that should be face to face / a zoom call doesn’t give you the “feel” of the company or position (for me anyway)

7. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 1:25PM UTC

   Capitalization and punctuation are marks of professionalism. Just saying.

8. Lisa McCartneyMay 5,2026 at 2:34PM UTC

   Agreed, even now there are zoom meetings with AI.

9. AnonymousMay 4,2026 at 1:54PM UTC

   1,000% agree! You are not alone feeling this way. Thank you for posting what many of us are feeling and experiencing.

10. AnonymousMay 4,2026 at 2:01PM UTC

    employers have become lazy. Sit back and wait. put minimal effort into humanizing a hiring process. Offer the least. watch candidate after candidate. It's demoralizing. I work in healthcare as a PROVIDER and see it here too. What's the answer? I'm not sure. I'm not selling myself to someone else anymore. I'm currently working as a 1099 contractor and treated GREAT. Like, I'm super appreciated for my "quality" work. There's a whole world of people working at the "bottom rung" right now because we're all in the same Vornado. You'll find your path, and you'll find your worth too- but not thru your paycheck. Are you doing volunteer work somewhere? Find a cause you believe in, Get your teaching license, do something and find your tribe in the meantime. Godspeed!

11. Yvette SimpsonMay 5,2026 at 12:32PM UTC

    I totally feel your pain. I complain and then I push myself out there again. I work in healthcare and it’s hard to transition from patient care to medical billing or patient access. I don’t think employers know what they want the majority of the time . It’s so frustrating you worry mentally how you will make it and survive . You have a job which I understand but the right one is the focus .

12. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:35PM UTC

    Don't give up. Take a couple of deep breaths and a moment to reset. It's a very challenging time in the job market. A few things that you can do is... Volunteer, take a class at your local library, or hire yourself by turning a hobby into a business and SCORE business mentoring can assist you with that (free). It's okay to be frustrated. You are human. I have been there. When life gives us lemons we don't have to make lemonade. We can make lemon cookies, lemon pie, lemon cake or even lemon cleaner. I am praying for doors to be open for you.

13. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 1:21PM UTC

    Yes, but volunteering doesn't pay the bills, which pile up quickly when we have no income. Same with taking a library class .. for what? That time could be used looking for work. It is incredibly difficult to turn a hobby into a business (been there) and make a livable wage. I've taken more than a couple of deep breaths the past four years, being an over-50 woman job hunting for full-time in my field. Companies want cheap, not experience. It is beyond frustrating.

14. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 2:52PM UTC

    Well, I see what you mean about volunteering or taking a class at the library might not pay the bills or it may take away time from looking for a job. BUT, it also gives you a mental break from being so focused on "the job hunt" where you just feel rejection after rejection, where you get e-mail after e-mail with another lead or another rejection. That doesn't mean you have to spend all of the time volunteering. That said, volunteering takes your focus off of you, and makes you feel human again. It helps you do something positive and experience success. Maybe in that volunteering, someone may meet someone on the board of directors who is impressed with their skills and want to hire them. I gave an example above of a friend who started volunteering for a hospice organization and got hired to do technical work with their network. Taking a class at the library? Well people go to the library for various things. Organizations have meetings at library conference rooms. Mothers take their children to the library. Fathers take their children to the library. Mothers and fathers with jobs. I took a class at the library through the local unemployment office. The facilitator of the class had us do a little project and she discovered that I had some information about a situation with which she needed assistance. I ended up working for her community association for the better part of two years. Those volunteer and class opportunities may be great networking tools- where you meet someone you might have never met otherwise. You may meet the person who gets you on the short list for hires.

    Still though, the best part of volunteering or taking a class is that you experience some success and look outside of yourself.

15. Jen FrischenMay 5,2026 at 2:24PM UTC

    Great points.

16. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:35PM UTC

    The bell curve exists for a reason. Because the bell curve exists, the grand majority of the workforce is basically a bunch of average, mediocre talent that prefers a positive attitude over objective reality and measurable business results. Not ironically (if you have a brain on the right side of the bell curve), the entire economic system in the US is on an extremely fragile foundation that is destined for a deep, dark, and long overdue correction that will shatter your positive attitude delusions. Such is just the reality of letting a bunch of morons make the majority of decisions for decades while they get high on their own positive attitude and ignore the damage they're doing.

17. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:41PM UTC

    Could not agree more...seen it, got the T-Shirt, wore it out...

18. Nina JohnsonMay 5,2026 at 12:35PM UTC

    Everyone needs a safe place to vent - this job market is infuriating. I mean, c'mon, you'd have to be a robot or living in a bubble to simply recommend toxic positivity as the solution... sometimes people just need to hear they aren't alone. Can we be that here? Be the safe place so someone can vent and be real and not promote the old "grin and bear it" mantra? I agree with the Anonymous original poster: many employers erroneously think your past job title has to match their opportunity exactly or you couldn't possibly do the job. Human resource standards have been recommending employers match skill sets rather than job titles, however, not all HR staff are HRCI or SHRM certified. This means some HR depts are woefully behind modern standards and unaware of how to implement processes that support skills-based hiring. It's frustrating, but hang in there, you're not alone - please don't give up, allow yourself breaks.

19. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:41PM UTC

    I have been in your shoes, and it’s extremely frustrating. I was unemployed for 18 months and have been in my new role for the past year. I am near the end of my career thankfully. In my experience. AI is ruining the market for strong experienced talent. I’ve told every recruiter and HR rep the same. Most agree. Keep networking. That’s how I got my job. Old school.

20. Sir John McPoopington XVII JrMay 5,2026 at 12:48PM UTC

    It feels like this is a game of musical statues and lately the music has stopped and where ever you are, that's where you're stuck until the music (hopefully) starts again. Given how inhuman and callous most CEOs seem to be now I don't expect change any time soon.

21. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:49PM UTC

    I feel you and support you. It is frustrating. Thank you for sharing your real feelings and not just performing for the rest.

22. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:51PM UTC

    Hey I get it. I was there! I'm in my late 50's and I just knew I would retire at that company. My position was eliminated after my promotion in October last year. I accepted a position in April, so I'm working now, Thank God. I know how you feel but you have to change your negative emotions, it is hard, but you have to!! Yes, get mad, shout, whatever you need to do to get it out - then shake it off, put on your big girl panties and move forward! What happened, happened what is to come is yet to be determined. I don't know if you are religious but I focused on God because I have no support system because I'm the support the matriarch and I'm single. If you have a support system lean on them, because I did not have one, God was mine. You have to keep pushing and using all avenues to find a job.

23. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:51PM UTC

    I mean seriously? People have a right to be frustrated after searching for so long and being turned away, often ghosted, sometimes going through several rounds of interviews only to be ghosted. Clearly you are not job searching in this awful market or you'd understand.

24. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 12:52PM UTC

    Yep. I've been at this job hunt thing as a tech worker for over 2 years now. Have followed all advice, coaching sessions, interview practice, resume tailoring, networking, "having a sunnier attitude", looking at jobs lower/around my old job title.

    Have been 2nd place in at least 9 interview rounds that went over 5 hours each (3-6 rounds). I tailor 7 resumes per day.

    I was a remote worker and don't live in a tech town. IDK if remote is dying or just ATS systems are drowning in nearly identical AI-created resumes. Maybe it's tech.

    Ironically, many startups come to me for free advice or tech volunteering, which I do to keep my resume fresh. I'm now doing the job I used to get paid for for free.

    Currently looking for waitressing jobs bc at least you can walk away with $200-$500 per night. Am in my 40s with 15 years experience, and have a young family, so not ideal.

    Keep up the good fight.

25. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 2:23PM UTC

    Hey. You never know where one of those service industry jobs is going to lead you. I am actually pretty introverted, but when I am looking for a job, I am constantly chatting with people who have businesses- especially if they interest me. You might be the super friendly person who serves a table of a CEO looking for your exact skill set. I mean, as long as your service job understands you are pretty much there "to pay the bills" they know you aren't looking for a "career" as a server.

    I do think that AI has sort of cut down on the "remote worker" situation. What do you do in "tech"? Maybe "re-branding" your skills would help. For instance- maybe you are great with "tech" skills but you also like legal work or medical work. Maybe instead of focusing on really dialed in skills, you could look at how your skills could be useful in another area. I have a friend who was very skilled at "tech" work. I had her help our law office with some technical issues and networking before a trial. Soon others saw what she was doing and she started freelancing for awhile. Then a large firm recognized her skills during a court hearing and hired her to be their litigation support/trial assistant.

    I have another friend with tech skills who has recently gone to work with a hospice care group- assisting with setting up some patient care programs and also specializing in getting technologies working so that patients are more able to easily interact with their families and loved ones far away- especially patients who may be older or may have developmental disabilities.

26. Bradley Dalton-OatesMay 5,2026 at 6:50PM UTC

    Thanks for being so positive! I am at the point where waitressing is better than other "bottom of the barrel" jobs, I've had some secretarial interviews too and there's only 23 minutes allowed away from the phones for a lunch "hour".

    At least with waitressing I'd be able to spend summer days with my grade-school age son. And you're right, I'm not going to meet anyone manning the phones.

    I was at the lower end salary of Product/Project managers in tech, at $90k per year (I'm not fintech or anything). Break-even in the city I live in is $60k. $45k secretarial is a tough proposition. I have done some FAANG-style interviews but yes would love a "mom-and-pop" tech job too... that job the lady got networking sounds like a lucky break for a tech worker these days.

    Word on the street is that 1%-3% response on cold applications is currently seen as good, which is a LOT of rejections to get to a single interview.

27. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 1:08PM UTC

    That’s a really terrible way to respond to someone going through this. Is it terrible out there right now and most people on both sides of this will tell you the system is a bit broken at the moment. Don’t kick someone when their down - give some grace and compassion

28. Marie MahonMay 5,2026 at 1:15PM UTC

    Amen! I am so ready to take a few week breather because it feel like such an endless cycle. As someone else mentioned - can you find some sort of certification to focus on online that will take your focus and add another win to your resume? I am going to spend time on SixSigma so I can keep my mind occupied. I feel you!! Take a breath and don’t give up - on you!!

29. MichelleMay 5,2026 at 1:27PM UTC

    I completely feel your pain!

    I've been looking for work for 3 years now and ALL I get is rejection after rejection after rejection and I even 'tailor' my resume to the job description so it will pass the ATS Systems and I still get rejected!

    And then, you've got those HR recruiters that use electronic calendars to set up phone screens and interviews and they set them a MONTH out and then they hire someone BEFORE you even get a chance to talk to them and they're really UNPROFESSIONAL AND rude and it when you ask them about the interview!

    I NEVER saw this coming 3 years ago when that the job market was going to tank!

    Never in my life have I ever had such a hard time finding a job as I am NOW, and I'm 62, I am a seasoned EA/Project Coordinator/Office Management Field, and I don't know IF it's because I live in Upstate NY or if it's national wide!

    I've been living off my savings and I have ONE MONTH LEFT of SAVINGS and then I'M BROKE and I'll be facing homelessness!

    It IS a complete SHIT SHOW and employers are taking MONTHS to hire someone, BECAUSE they're 'looking for the right candidate,' AND they're low-balling salaries and asking for EVERYTHING and they're also lengthening the 'probation' period so they don't have to offer benefits right away either!

    It's definitely an EMPLOYERS market and they don't care if you can pay your bills or not! It's ALL ABOUT SAVING THE MONEY for them people are going to be HOMELESS because of it and there's no more resources out there either to help with rent!

30. AnonymousMay 6,2026 at 3:21AM UTC

    OP: I'm in NYC and its ridiculous. The salaries some companies offer are a joke.

31. AnonymousMay 8,2026 at 2:43PM UTC

    It's everywhere.

32. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 1:27PM UTC

    Well said and completely agree!! I am living it, also. "Early career" is the new buzz phrase masquerading as age discrimination.

33. MichelleMay 5,2026 at 1:28PM UTC

    Don't give us THAT SHIT!!

    TRUTH HURTS!

    And we definitely would NOT go into an interview with a shit attitude, smart ass!

34. lorilucasMay 5,2026 at 1:54PM UTC

    I feel your pain ❤️

35. Kenneth owensMay 5,2026 at 2:03PM UTC

    Totally agree ?

36. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 2:11PM UTC

    It is unfortunate that so many people are having such a difficult time finding jobs. I think there are two huge issues that impact why people don't hurry to hire, or they don't consider that some candidates really are very anxious and eager to be employed. (1) During COVID the company very much transitioned to a "side hustle/gig work" mindset. So I don't think employers think much about people having to "wait." They think everyone just gets a side hustle and makes it through. (2) The longer someone is out of work, the longer that gap in the resume' becomes and the more they hold it against you. MOST side hustles don't translate into job experience that one can put on a resume' nor do they pay enough money to be sustainable long term.

    Assuming you don't have a non-compete in place, I have found that applying to "the competition" can actually be extremely effective- as those who compete already know the quality of your work. Many know your personality and your dedication.

    I used to think being in a small job market was difficult, but being in a small circle can be advantageous. I work in the legal field. Twice I have found jobs with opposing counsel firms. Of course, I am not carrying over or sharing confidential information, but I was told that they knew the quality of my work and they appreciated the kindness and respect I always showed them and their staff.

    I imagine those qualities may not be as visible or necessary in a large corporate environment.

    I still find that the old adage "It's not what you know, it's who you know" is very true. Perhaps re-packaging your skill set to become a "consultant" would be valuable. Perhaps just offering to do some back up work to support staff- to get your foot in the door.

    I am not trying to belittle anyone, but those are things I did that helped a lot.

    Maybe even register with a "temp agency." Sometimes they have "temp to hire" situations- where no-one is committed but it gives everyone an opportunity to feel out the situation.

37. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 2:33PM UTC

    Well I guess now y'all know why trickle down economics doesn't work. Giving tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy doesn't magically create more jobs.

38. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 2:35PM UTC

    I feel your pain, internet fren. This is the absoute worst job market I have seen since 2008/2009, and I work in HR. I am being rejected from jobs I could do whilst hooked up to life support and being rejected for "other candidates who are better aligned to the role". Employers need to stop posting jobs when they already identified an internal candidate, stop posting ghost jobs to build their pipeline and/or appear to be growing/profitable from an investor standpoint. Lastly, employers need to stop sending me emails I never signed up for that show me all their open jobs after being rejected, and that very same job appears on that list. I truly worry if I will ever work again at this rate.

39. AnonymousMay 6,2026 at 1:46AM UTC

    I used to work at a large company & pretty sure it was a law that a job had to be posted for a minimum of a week, no matter if internal candidate was already identified. Even for a promotion to a Sr level of same job.

40. AnonymousMay 6,2026 at 5:53PM UTC

    Yes, posting for a week even with the internal candidate is terrible and I have had to post jobs like that too. What's diabolical is putting several candidates through the interview process fully knowing there's no chance you are hiring them, and that's a relatively new thing. I would never waste a candidate's or internal colleague's time by doing that, but now seems to be the norm. The process is so f**g broken that I don't know it can be fixed at this point.

41. Shannon TippitMay 5,2026 at 3:03PM UTC

    I feel your pain. Just yesterday I was sent a rejection letter through indeed, less than an hour after I applied to a job i was fully qualified for. When I asked why, I was told what they were looking for was not in my resume. But it was! Just not the EXACT phrasing they were looking for.

42. JennyMay 5,2026 at 3:11PM UTC

    This post resonates so well with my situation! I got laid off in the Fall and have been looking ever since. I've had 50+ interviews with around 20 unique companies. In the beginning, I was confident I was going to land something quickly but now I'm not so sure anymore.

    Only yesterday I received a generic rejection email after a full process that included a presentation with their VP for whom I had to create a fullblown marketing plan for their new product launch. The VP reached out a week after the presentation asking for the slides, and then boom a generic rejection email from the recruiter. All that unpaid work for nothing.

    My favorite one was another full process where the last interviewer was a complete toxic male from Ireland that started the interview with a comment about how he doesn't remember his job title anymore because it keeps changing so much due to all these promotions he keeps getting LOL.

43. K LassiterMay 5,2026 at 6:10PM UTC

    Sounds like they might have wanted your unpaid labor more than they were interested in your candidacy. Especially if they asked for the slides. Imagine if they do that with every potential candidate how many decks they have accumulated? It's CRAZY out here!!

44. Janet ParkhurstMay 6,2026 at 3:30AM UTC

    Jenny, I hope you didn't give the VP your slides. If so, well... it's just what you said: unpaid work. He or she probably ran with your ideas and threw YOU away in the process. It's outright theft. I remember, back in a saner time, I was asked to write a few blocks of catalog copy for a company I was applying for as their new copywriter. They at least had the decency to pay me for my work... and said it would have little bearing on whether or not I got the job--which I DID get. This was back in the kinder, gentler times of the early '80s.

45. MichelleMay 7,2026 at 1:28AM UTC

    Rule #1. Never, never ever give a prospective employer your work without getting it in writing that you're going to be compensated for it!

    Janet is right! They STOLE your IDEAS and THREW YOU away !

    You got burned.

    Learn from it and never make THAT mistake again!

46. MichelleMay 7,2026 at 1:28AM UTC

    Rule #1. Never, never ever give a prospective employer your work without getting it in writing that you're going to be compensated for it!

    Janet is right! They STOLE your IDEAS and THREW YOU away !

    You got burned.

    Learn from it and never make THAT mistake again!

47. AnonymousMay 12,2026 at 1:27PM UTC

    I would never, and propose the same to you, share my IP and work without an offer or comp. I hope you are rewarded with a better job at a better company that won’t pillage your work and appreciates you. God bless

48. Stephanie HumbleMay 5,2026 at 4:44PM UTC

    Over the last 3 months I have put in 50 applications, have received 4 callbacks, have had 2 interviews, and not one job offer has been made! This is beyond RIDICULOUS and FRUSTRATING!! UGH

49. MichelleMay 7,2026 at 1:18AM UTC

    You've only been looking for 3 months and you're complaining??

    Try looking for 3 years to no avail then talk about frustration and defeating and dehumanizing!

50. AyianMay 5,2026 at 5:37PM UTC

    Employers are not reading FairyGodBoss. You're just venting emotionally abusive sentiments at the strangers who use this board. If you need to vent like this, I recommend you keep it to your Facebook or whatever where people you actually know and therefore presumably care enough about you to absorb your fatalistic attitude and still communicate with you afterward.

51. K LassiterMay 5,2026 at 6:06PM UTC

    What is "emotionally abusive" about this statement? I'm really trying to understand. Because from where I'm reading, both the original response and the comments agreeing with her experience, I'm thinking your response might be the more caustic take. Why was unkindness necessary?

52. AnonymousMay 6,2026 at 3:18AM UTC

    OP: They're probably one of the employers I'm describing.

53. Priya SridharMay 5,2026 at 7:03PM UTC

    Well aren't you a sponge of empathy.

54. AnonymousMay 6,2026 at 3:17AM UTC

    OP: I don't care. Scroll on if you don't like it.

55. AnonymousMay 7,2026 at 1:16AM UTC

    You must be one of the employers that she's complaining about and doesn't the TRUTH HURT!

56. AnonymousMay 8,2026 at 6:35PM UTC

    This sounds like IA… lol!

57. Cher GoodchildMay 12,2026 at 12:50PM UTC

    This is exactly what this feed is for. Exactly. Try scrolling instead of trolling, yeah?

58. MimiMay 5,2026 at 7:04PM UTC

    Read that companies are using open roles to collect candidate data and train AI models. Additionally, the economy is uncertain, and there are serious budget considerations in every boardroom.

59. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 8:04PM UTC

    Yes, I agree. Almost had a conversation with a virtual recruiter the other day. I couldn't do it and hung up.

60. Jody LaflenMay 5,2026 at 9:55PM UTC

    Hear, hear. Though after 3 years, I think they’re only posting jobs for posterity. They’re planning to fill them with AI. At least that’s what it feels like with tech jobs.

61. AnonymousMay 5,2026 at 10:20PM UTC

    I ended up switching to another field (marketing to accounting) because I just could NOT get a job in marketing, no matter how hard I tried.

    The job market, whether white-collar or blue-collar (i.e., the trades), is a total nightmare. Because of the layoffs from tech, the federal government, etc, it’s become insanely competitive, meaning that any job paying more than $40K/year is the modern-day equivalent of golden treasure. Unfortunately, all we can do is either apply to jobs in our current field or try a different field entirely.

62. AnonymousMay 6,2026 at 3:26AM UTC

    OP: You have no idea how hard it is to find a job now. Especially when you have rejection after rejection, being ghosted by recruiters, interview after interview. If you have nothing helpful to say then get out.

63. AnonymousMay 7,2026 at 1:26PM UTC

    No need to be combative. Perhaps you should be the one to 'get out'.

64. AliciaMay 6,2026 at 1:50PM UTC

    I feel your pain OP. I'm taking a break from the hunt and consulting / doing project work for income and volunteering 1x a week to keep my sanity. Those mixed with industry webinars and my Never Search Alone job search counsel have been incredibly helpful in keeping my moral up. Sending you positive vibes. I hope something turns around for all of us very soon.

65. MichelleMay 7,2026 at 1:11AM UTC

    What kind of consulting/project work are you doing?

    I've been looking for 3 years, since the job market fell apart, to no avail and if I don't find something in the next month, I'll be broke and then homeless.

66. AnonymousMay 6,2026 at 6:43PM UTC

    I’m sorry you are frustrated. Unfortunately you are not alone, as you know. If financially you can swing it, take any opportunity in any field that you can get. At least you will have something and it may lead to better things ahead. Thank you for posting and best of luck.

67. AnonymousMay 7,2026 at 1:05AM UTC

    The problem with trying to 'take anything you can get' is that if you're over qualified for a role, employers won't hire you thinking that you're not going to stay long and it costs them too much money to hire someone that's over qualified and have them leave not long afterwards.

    So, that's not the greatest advice and I know, because I've been looking for work for 3 years now to no avail.

68. AnonymousMay 7,2026 at 6:36PM UTC

    OK. Take a job in a grocery store, restaurant, etc. Keep it simple. Work your way up. I know from experience that I am right. Retired quite successfully at 64. It’s not rocket science.

69. AnonymousMay 11,2026 at 2:52PM UTC

    Have you looked at the salaries lately for these places?

70. AnonymousMay 8,2026 at 12:50PM UTC

    You are not alone. Over the past 2 years I've been sourcing roles that fit my skillsets and experience. Tried everything - including LI AI resume revision, ChatGPT resume revision, 1 page resume, 2 page resume - I do have a job, but it's not going to lead me where I want to go. And the slap to the face is when you sit for interviews (up to 3) and never hear back - not a word.

71. Sharon ScottMay 8,2026 at 1:16PM UTC

    Layed off for almost 2 years now. Multiple interviews. Never quite the perfect fit. When I was first layed off it was a perfect storm - now it's simply a hurricane. I've been pushed out / aged out of the tech market and am working on re-defining myself now. It's been brutal - morally, emotionally and financially. Thank God for my christian church and friends who have been by my side through it all! Looking forward to coming out the other end a winner.

72. Sonia NayeliMay 8,2026 at 6:32PM UTC

    I empathize. Employers want an exact match and are not willing to train.

73. maria roseMay 9,2026 at 2:43PM UTC

    There’s no magic solutions to finding the job that suits your ideal job description and nor is it possible to be that ideal candidate either. But when you get those interviews maybe trying to in your answers to those questions find a way to for the potential employers to present you with information that helps you to verbally present yourself in the version of the employee that they are looking for. Today’s employers are hiring mainly because the job needs an actual human not a robot for the role and they either have a pre-selected person in mind already or are just fishing in the hopes of finding someone who will take job regardless of the details of pay & benefits package and they hope that the candidate is desperate enough to jump at the opportunity. You should walk away from every interview with a firm understanding that you have the job or not. Especially when they are cagey about key issues you are holding firm about considering their offer. Just because they list it as needing certain skills doesn’t mean they want to pay/compensate you in the amount you want, when they know someone else will take the position for much lower pay. I am not saying undersell yourself but sometimes taking a pay cut makes sense if you’re not having those costs of commuting travel and more time for personal life. And look beyond a limited area of places to work, you be surprised how much more rewarding you may find yourself working in field of work that you consider not important real work jobs .

74. AnonymousMay 10,2026 at 5:32AM UTC

    There is employee's market and then there is the employer's market. Know which market you are currently in and that will dictate how the market expectations go.

75. AnonymousMay 12,2026 at 3:25PM UTC

    I feel your frustration! I am in debt up to my eyeballs with student loans over $150K working on a doctorate degree that I don't put on applications. I'm too far gone to quit and don't know why I'm even pursuing it anymore! This current administration has DISMANTLED education! :-/ The next move may be out of the USA.

76. AnonymousMay 12,2026 at 3:28PM UTC

    It's bad everywhere unfortunately.

77. Penni HumeMay 12,2026 at 6:59PM UTC

    I get it! Been back in the job market since January of this year. If it's not rejection after rejection or getting an email telling you that your skills are epic or getting ghosted by the employer still advertising the same position, I applied for and getting an in-person interview. Thinking most employers are looking for unicorn candidates to pay less because the older generation is thinking retirement.