Applied to a Job

I’m feeling really frustrated with the job market in the UK right now. I've spent over a decade working in retail and had no issues finding jobs before COVID hit. Since 2021, however, I've faced a series of unsuccessful job attempts that have really shaken my confidence. I've done everything asked of me, but I keep failing probation periods, which are typically 3-5 months for sales assistant roles. One time, I was wrongfully fired because my manager didn’t like me, and after going through ACAS, I received a decent payout to avoid court. I also quit a job recently without having another lined up because it was making me miserable, which is something I’ve never done before, as I usually pride myself on my resilience. My last position was at Lush, but it was only seasonal, and my contract ended. I've been applying for jobs for months now—literally anything I can find—but nothing seems to be working out. I don't have experience in hospitality or bar work, but I've been applying anyway. It’s frustrating that so many of these roles require 1-2 years of experience, which feels impossible to obtain when I can't even get my foot in the door! I feel like every job I land doesn't last, and I’m doing my best to just find something stable. I've been rejected from hundreds of positions, and it feels so helpless. I consider myself friendly and confident, and I perform well in interviews, but I either can’t pass the intense probation periods or get rejected shortly after applying. I’m also really tired of AI interviews; I want to speak to a real person! Financially, I’m struggling. I’m maxed out on my overdraft of £250 and owe my dad some money. Thankfully, I still live at home, but I’m desperate to move out, especially with the housing crisis in the UK. I’m scraping by on a minimal amount from universal credit, and I feel embarrassed about my situation. I just want a permanent job that offers more than 7 hours a week. I’ve even considered shifting to a different career path, but I lack the experience to move beyond retail. I’m not sure if there’s any advice out there, but I just needed to vent and hope that someone else can relate to what I’m going through.

Applied at Cardinal Health for Unknown

Applied at City of Milwaukee for Parking Enforcement Officer

Applied at Chick-fil-A for Unknown

Applied at Apple for Marketing Role

Rejected by: Mangomint for Customer Support Specialist

I am currently a full-time college student desperately searching for a summer job. Since the beginning of summer, I've been applying to numerous positions, but I haven't received any responses, even after following up. My financial situation is dire, and I really need a stable income to support myself. Finding a summer job has proven to be much harder than I anticipated. I live in a city that isn't very walkable, and I don't have a driver's license or a car due to financial constraints. This limits my options significantly, and my only means of transportation would be Uber, which is not ideal. My family isn't able to help me out, and I am financing my education entirely on my own. At 23, I feel like I'm falling behind, and the pressure is mounting. I've applied to all the places within walking distance and those I could reach with Uber, but I still haven't been selected for any positions. Many of the jobs require a driver's license, which I don't have, and the available positions often aren't entry-level or match my experience. I'm feeling completely lost and would appreciate any advice on how to navigate this challenging job market.

I recently went through an intense job application process for a position that I was really excited about. I had four rounds of interviews, including a call with the director, and throughout the entire process, the communication from the recruiter was fantastic. They kept telling me how well I was doing and that the feedback from the management team was overwhelmingly positive. I felt confident that I was a strong candidate. However, after my interview with the director, everything went silent. I followed up with the recruiter, but I received no response. My application status still shows as 'in process,' but I can't shake the feeling that I've been ghosted. It's incredibly frustrating to go from receiving constant updates and positive feedback to complete radio silence. It's disheartening that companies can't just provide a simple update or closure. Instead, I’m left wondering what went wrong. This experience has left me feeling fed up with the job search process and the lack of accountability from recruiters and companies.

I’ve been struggling to find a job in cybersecurity since I entered the field in 2019. Originally from southern Europe, I hold a British passport and I’m a 40-year-old female with a background in banking. It’s become incredibly difficult to transition out of cybersecurity or even land interviews. Hiring managers and recruiters keep telling me they prefer candidates with military backgrounds, even for roles that are not in the government sector. Just a couple of years ago, I was inundated with calls for strategic intelligence roles, leveraging my educational background in geopolitics. Now, I’m applying for various positions in banking and other sectors, but the feedback is the same—employers are prioritizing ex-military candidates. This wasn’t the case before, and it’s frustrating. I had even considered joining the army myself, but a spinal tumor made that impossible. I’m curious if anyone else is experiencing similar challenges in the job market, especially in cybersecurity. It feels like the landscape has shifted dramatically, and it’s disheartening.

I recently started a new job about four months ago, but it's been a nightmare. I had been struggling to find work for a while due to my employment history, which includes several short stints and a significant gap while I focused on my bachelor's degree and dealt with personal issues. When I finally got this job, I thought it would be a fresh start, but it quickly turned toxic. From the beginning, I noticed red flags, and soon enough, the stress became unbearable. Every shift feels like a battle, and I'm constantly worried about being fired. I've tried to address issues with my coworkers and manager, but nothing has improved. The environment is hostile, and I'm under immense pressure to meet conflicting expectations. Recently, my hours were cut from full-time to part-time because I couldn't meet the unrealistic standards set by my manager and coworkers, despite my best efforts. This shift has left me feeling trapped, as I'm still expected to be available full-time without any predictable schedule. I suspect my manager is trying to force me to quit. Now I'm at a crossroads. If I leave this job off my resume, my employment gap will widen, but if I include it, I'll look like a job hopper. I'm considering applying for new jobs, but I'm unsure how to approach it given my circumstances. I have some savings, but I don't want to waste more time and money. I'm feeling really lost and need advice on whether I should start applying now and how to handle my resume.

I recently resigned from my position as a paraprofessional at an autism school, and honestly, I feel relieved. My hours had been cut down to just two days a week, which was frustrating since I was already working five days a week. The administration, particularly the director, created a toxic environment. Although they occasionally showed appreciation, I often felt undervalued and unappreciated. This unhappiness had been building up over the last couple of months, and my last day was May 29th. I communicated to my boss that working only two days a week wasn't feasible for me and requested a full-time position. Unfortunately, she informed me that there were no full-time opportunities available, which prompted me to start searching for a new job. On a positive note, I had a few job interviews lined up, and last Wednesday, I attended two of them. Just last Friday, I received a call from one of the directors at another school where I had applied, asking if I was still interested in the position. I was thrilled to say yes! They sent me a contract, which I reviewed carefully and found satisfactory. I officially resigned from my previous job and will be starting at the new autism school in two weeks on July 27th! I didn't expect the transition to happen so quickly. While I will still be working as a paraprofessional, I am hopeful that this new environment will treat me with the respect and appreciation I deserve. Good riddance to my old job!

I recently faced another rejection from a remote company, marking my second disappointment in the past two months. I dedicated a full day to complete their assignment and spent another day preparing for the technical interview. Each day, I anxiously checked my email, hoping for a positive response. Unfortunately, I received an email today informing me that they chose another candidate. I'm feeling really sad and dejected. I don't want to go through the process of completing another assignment, but I'm unsure how to express that without jeopardizing future opportunities. It’s tough to keep putting in so much effort only to be met with rejection.

I recently applied for a retail consultant position at two locations with Optus Australia at the end of May. I went through several stages, including an AI HireVue interview, a 10-minute phone screening, and an in-person interview with a hiring manager. After that, I completed a background and reference check, which the CVCheck portal confirmed was successful about two weeks ago. However, I haven't received any updates from Optus since then. Today, I checked the Optus careers portal and noticed that the status for both retail locations I applied to has changed to "Moved to other opportunity." I'm unsure what this means, especially since I received a different status of "Unsuccessful following review" for another location I applied to, which I had to decline due to the distance. I'm seeking clarity on what this new status indicates.

I have over 10 years of experience in IT Support and Escalation, but I keep facing rejection from job applications. I’m starting to wonder what I might be doing wrong. I've been applying for what I thought were suitable roles, but it seems like many companies are questioning why someone with my level of experience is targeting junior positions. I’m considering whether I should shift my focus to more senior roles instead, but I'm unsure if I’m ready for that leap. Any advice on how to navigate this situation would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve been on the job hunt for a while now, applying to over 100 positions without receiving a single callback, and it’s been really disheartening. Recently, I’ve come to realize that mass applying is like playing a lottery — it’s not just about the number of applications you send out. After doing some extensive research across various industries, I discovered a common trend: those who stand out, even if it feels a bit cringe, tend to get noticed. A friend of mine was desperate for a sales job and decided to take a bold approach. He found a hiring manager's phone number and cold-called him, asking for just 60 seconds to pitch himself. This tactic worked for him because it demonstrated his initiative and ability to sell himself, which is crucial in sales roles. Taking inspiration from this, I’ve started creating unsolicited 5-slide decks outlining what I would work on if hired at companies I’m genuinely interested in. I then find five relevant hiring managers on LinkedIn and send them my deck. This approach has yielded a 20% response rate, and I finally landed a job! I used to think this was too much effort, but when traditional application methods feel blocked by algorithms, sometimes you have to find a creative side door to get in. What’s the most unconventional thing you would try in your job search?

I've been on the job hunt for the past 2.5 months, focusing my efforts on finding a remote software engineering role. In that time, I sent out 16 applications and received 2 offers. With 6 years of experience under my belt, I made a strategic decision to only apply to positions that closely matched my background. I ensured that the core skills required for each job aligned with my experience, and I tailored my resume for every application, even though I initially filtered roles based on how well they matched my qualifications. Before applying, I looked at several key factors: the job title and seniority level needed to fit my background, the required years of experience had to match mine, and I made sure the role was remote and available in my location. I also aimed to meet almost all of the must-have requirements, and I focused on positions where the responsibilities closely mirrored my previous work. To streamline this process, I utilized ChatGPT to analyze job descriptions against my resume, helping me identify how well my experience matched the key requirements and responsibilities. I prioritized core requirements over preferred skills, which I found to be less critical. I was quite selective in my applications, applying to fewer jobs but only those where I felt I had a strong chance of success.

I am a board-certified physician who has been applying for entry-level Clinical Research Coordinator positions, but I keep facing rejections. I’m trying to understand what I might be missing in my applications or interviews. Despite my medical background, it seems like I’m not making the cut. I would appreciate any advice on how to improve my chances or if there are specific qualifications that employers are looking for in this role.

I’ve been through a tough time with repeated layoffs and job searching, and I just need to share my experience to get it off my chest. A couple of years ago, I was laid off and spent months searching for a new role. Eventually, I landed a position at a large tech company, which I thought was a turning point for me. However, less than a year later, I faced another layoff due to "business changes." Since then, I’ve been doing low-rate freelance work just to keep some income coming in. While I’m thankful I haven’t been completely unemployed, my current role is quite different from what I used to do, and I’m struggling to adjust. The workload is heavy, and the pay barely covers my basic expenses. I feel like I’m on the edge, and lately, I’ve found myself crying more often than I’d like to admit. I’ve been actively applying for more stable and relevant roles, reaching out to former colleagues and my network, but most of my messages go unanswered or lead to dead ends. Sometimes recruiters reach out, and I get interviews, but most of those end in rejection or silence. Just today, I was rejected after an HR screening for an overseas role that matched my background closely. The conversation felt good, so I was really surprised by the rejection email, which said they chose someone with a closer match. It stung because it made me feel like I was just a backup option. This rejection hit hard. If I can’t even progress in a role that aligns with my experience, I’m starting to lose hope about what I should even apply for. I’m not looking for a perfect job; I just want something stable that can provide enough income to avoid feeling like one unexpected expense could derail everything. I’m exhausted and feeling hopeless about getting back on my feet. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and managed to find stability? I just need to know I’m not alone in feeling this way and that things can change.

I recently relocated due to my husband’s military career, and it’s been incredibly challenging to find a job. I’m a 31-year-old veteran with four degrees and multiple certifications, including CBAP and Certified ScrumMaster, yet I feel like I’m hitting a wall. My previous job was my dream role in the government, where I had an amazing boss and a supportive work environment. I left that position with no regrets, but now I’m struggling to get interviews, despite customizing my résumé for every application. I’ve even applied for roles I’m overqualified for, hoping to get my foot in the door, but still face rejection. It’s really affecting my confidence. I’m looking for remote opportunities in business analysis, HR, or project management. Is the job market really this tough right now, or am I missing something? If anyone has leads, I would greatly appreciate it.

I was laid off from my fully remote job about 8 months ago, where I had worked for 6 years. The job search has been incredibly challenging; I submitted around 800 applications across various platforms, including Indeed, LinkedIn, and Zip Recruiter, as well as directly to company websites. I went through 10 final interviews but faced numerous rejections and ghosting, which was disheartening. I also encountered ageism during my search, as I am nearing 50. After what felt like an endless grind, I finally secured a new fully remote position in my industry, although it comes with a 28% pay cut compared to my previous salary. Despite the pay decrease, I am relieved and happy to have found a company that is committed to remaining fully remote, especially since many others are shifting back to in-office or hybrid models. This experience has been the toughest 8 months of my career, and I wish everyone still searching for a remote job the best of luck in this competitive market.