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I was laid off in January 2023 from my senior marketing VP role after over a decade in the industry, right when I turned 55. It took me a staggering 42 months to secure a stable new position, and I wanted to share my journey in hopes it might help others facing a lengthy job search. In 2023, I started off with a positive outlook since I had severance and bonuses that kept me financially stable until June. I had been saving diligently and had some consulting leads, plus a consistent freelance client that brought in $20-40K annually. By the end of 2023, I had two monthly retainer clients and a couple of project-based gigs, but I made about 30% less than the previous year. I applied to 29 jobs, went through 11 interviews, but unfortunately, no offers came my way. Many of the interviews were through referrals, but I knew they weren't the right fit. In 2024, I lost my retainer clients but managed to get work from my old employer. After my unemployment ended in March, a recruiter reached out from a small Midwestern company, and I landed a new job in July, which came with a 25% pay increase. My income for the year was similar to 2023, but I applied to 48 jobs, had 7 interviews, and received one offer after making it to the final rounds twice. Then in January 2025, I faced another layoff. The new company was disorganized, and the president who hired me had left. I received a small severance and had to restart unemployment. Consulting work became challenging as many companies started relying on AI. Thankfully, I found a maternity leave cover position with a former manager, although it paid significantly less and lacked benefits. My income dropped by 10% compared to 2024, and I applied to 21 jobs, got 9 interviews, but only made it to the final rounds three times. By 2026, my consulting gig ended in January, and I was living off unemployment and savings while in final rounds for two roles that ultimately fell through. In April, I was called back for another consulting role, which recently converted to a W-2 position. While it pays 50% less than my last job, I'm grateful to have it. My income now is less than half of what I earned in 2022. I applied to 34 jobs, had 7 interviews, and received one offer. The job market was tough, especially with the impact of the Iran war affecting many sectors. Despite the challenges, I feel fortunate to have had savings, supportive family, and no major health issues. My emergency fund took a hit, but I haven't touched my retirement savings. The adaptability and resilience required in this new job landscape are overwhelming, especially with AI disrupting my field. I hope to maintain my current position until retirement and wish everyone the best in their own journeys.

I am a 54-year-old developer with 28 years of professional experience, and I've been long-term unemployed since being laid off about a year ago after 18 years at a small MarTech SaaS company that was acquired and subsequently closed. My team was eliminated during this process. I briefly held a senior developer position for about 10 weeks through a referral before facing another layoff due to workforce reduction. Since exhausting my unemployment benefits in March, I've been relying on my retirement savings and support from my elderly parents. Throughout my career, I've always taken on challenging projects and went above and beyond. My work impacted tens of thousands of global users and generated millions in revenue, requiring high performance and security. After the acquisition, I stepped into the role of the departing founding CTO, resolving critical infrastructure issues and facilitating a successful enterprise platform migration. I have concrete metrics from production systems that validate my contributions. I’ve been applying for jobs on and off, but my family situation has complicated things. I have an autistic child, and my wife has remained out of the workforce to care for her. We all face challenges related to neurodivergence, including depression and anxiety, which have made the job search even more daunting. Additionally, we've dealt with various family crises, including injuries and deaths, which have added to our stress. Despite my extensive experience, I struggle with impostor syndrome. I don’t have a computer science degree and have never worked for a large company, which makes me feel underqualified compared to others in the field. My previous work environment was small, with only three developers for over a decade, and while we focused on fundamentals, I often felt limited by our tech stack and development practices. I’ve attempted to keep my skills sharp by working on solo projects, particularly in AI and software automation, but nothing has gained traction yet. Navigating my professional identity has been challenging. My responsibilities spanned various roles, including software engineering, DevSecOps, and project management, but I lack deep specialization in any one area, making it hard to position myself for new opportunities. I’ve dedicated months to sending tailored applications and preparing for interviews, often making it to the later rounds only to be ghosted. I’ve shifted my focus away from mid-sized companies, which tend to prefer specialized candidates, and am now targeting early-stage startups where my broad experience might be more valuable. I actively search on platforms like YC and Wellfound and network with startup founders and engineers, but I haven’t found the right match yet. I'm feeling frustrated and isolated, but giving up isn’t an option since I have a family to support. I believe there are companies out there that would be a good fit for my skills, but finding them feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. I’m trying to stay focused on improving our situation and hope something materializes soon before we face losing our home.

I am currently unemployed and feeling quite hopeless. At 20 years old, I finished my A-Level studies in early 2024 and have been applying for jobs since then, even while I was studying. Now, I'm attending university, which requires me to commute over an hour for sometimes just a single hour lecture. With a new semester approaching, I have five days available each week, but they often coincide with busy business days like Fridays and Saturdays. I have over a year of retail experience from volunteering, where I also assisted management in training new volunteers. I passed all my GCSEs on the first attempt, but I do struggle with ADHD and anxiety. I always mention in my applications that I just need a little patience, but I am a dedicated worker. I've applied to over 100 jobs and have only landed six interviews, all of which I didn't pass the first round. One interview even involved a two-hour trial shift where I successfully upsold a customer, leading to multiple purchases. Unfortunately, many places haven't even bothered to respond to my applications. I've tried various methods: handing out my CV, emailing businesses directly, and visiting in person to inquire about job openings. I just needed to vent a bit because I feel so helpless and useless, especially when I see family members who had jobs at 16. I understand times were different then, but that doesn't lessen my feelings of frustration.

I was laid off on July 1st from Sia Partners, and honestly, I didn't expect to be in this position. Being let go during my probation period was tough to process, especially after I had put in so much effort and commitment to make things work. It's challenging to admit that I'm back in the job market, and I'm dealing with a mix of uncertainty, self-doubt, and frustration. However, I refuse to let this setback define my career. I have a background in data and content operations, metadata management, knowledge management, digital content, data governance, quality checks, and process-driven operations. I've also worked at Amazon and Deloitte in the past. Currently, I'm actively seeking new opportunities where I can leverage my skills in areas such as data/metadata management, data governance, content and knowledge management, digital asset/content operations, data quality, PMO/operations, and AI/content operations. If anyone knows of relevant openings, is hiring, or can refer me to someone in their network, I would greatly appreciate it. Even a lead, introduction, or a simple comment to guide me would mean a lot right now. I understand that getting laid off isn't the end of my career; sometimes, it's just a painful reset before moving on to the next chapter. If you can help with a referral or opportunity, please DM me. Even if you can't, an upvote or share would help me reach someone who might be able to assist. Thank you for your support.

I recently applied for unemployment benefits after being discharged from my job of 5 years. The main reason for my discharge was a general lack of motivation, which I honestly included in my application. The unemployment office has determined that my claim is eligible, but they are still waiting for a response from my former employer regarding a questionnaire they sent out. Today marks the 10th day since that notice was sent, and I'm starting to feel anxious about whether my claim will be approved. I could really use the financial support while I search for a new job, especially since this is my first time navigating the unemployment process. I'm unsure how it all works, and I'm hoping for some clarity soon.

I recently made a significant career decision that feels both exciting and a bit overwhelming. After 2.5 years as a physical therapist at a cash-pay clinic, I decided to start looking for new opportunities due to my financial situation and the desire for better work-life balance. I have about $50k in student loans and want to start a family soon, so money has been a major motivator for me. While I love working with athletes, including some Olympic medalists, my current role hasn't provided the salary and benefits I expected. The uncertainty of earnings based on clinic productivity has been stressful. To my surprise, I found a fantastic opportunity within just a week of my job search. This new role offers a salary that's $30k more than my current position, with no evenings, weekends, or holidays—just a standard M-F schedule from 8-4 or 9-5. It also comes with double the PTO, a 401k match, and the stability of a large company. Overall, the total compensation will be about $35k more than what I currently earn. I know it seems quick to make such a big change, but I feel like I would be foolish not to accept this offer. The only downside is that I'll be driving more to visit patients in their homes, but they will reimburse mileage, and I appreciate having some time to myself between appointments. I will miss my current athletic population and the relationships I've built, which is a bit daunting. Still, I've never seen a PT job in my area that pays this well, and I feel ready to take the plunge. It's a big decision, and I plan to put in my notice tomorrow. Am I making the right choice?

I survived the recent mass layoffs at my company, which affected about 5% of the workforce, but my team took a much harder hit. Most of my colleagues are gone, and now I'm left trying to manage the workload of five people with just one person. It's overwhelming. I'm on-call every week instead of just once a month, and I'm dealing with half-finished projects from teammates who were let go mid-sprint. Whenever something goes wrong in production, it's just me scrambling to fix it without any support. I keep hearing that I should feel lucky to still have a job, and while that's true, I'm doing the work of an entire team for the same pay. It's not sustainable, and I'm starting to feel the burnout creeping in. I'm actively looking for new opportunities before I reach that breaking point. I have over three years of experience as a Backend Engineer and I'm skilled in several programming languages and frameworks, including Ruby, Python, and Go. I also have experience with various data and infrastructure tools like PostgreSQL and AWS. I'm open to remote work or relocating for the right position. My notice period is between 45 to 60 days. If you know of any companies hiring or can offer a referral, I would greatly appreciate it.

I was recently made redundant from my senior data/insight and reporting role, and my company offered me a 6-month contract in another team. Currently, I’m on a salary of £95k, but I have about 4 months left on this contract. There’s a possibility of an extension or finding another internal role, but nothing is guaranteed. During the redundancy consultation, I applied for a permanent position elsewhere that was advertised at £60–75k. They ended up offering me £80k, which is a £15k pay cut from my current salary, but I appreciate that it's more than what they initially advertised. This new role would be a slight step down in seniority, yet it allows me to pivot into a growing area that genuinely interests me. I believe I could learn a lot and potentially benefit my career in the long run, but there are no guarantees. My previous role was made redundant as the company is shifting towards AI and automation, which makes me consider if this is the right time to pivot. I’m still getting interviews for similar roles, indicating that there is demand for my existing skill set. Now, I'm at a crossroads: should I take the permanent £80k role and embrace the opportunity to pivot, or should I stay on my current £95k contract for another 4 months while searching for something closer to my salary? The risk with the second option is that I might end up at the end of my contract without a new job and regret not taking the permanent offer. However, I also don’t want to rush into a decision just because the redundancy has made me anxious about job security. What would you do?

I am currently facing unemployment as my job was eliminated. I've been actively applying for new positions and customizing my cover letter and resume for each application, which has been quite time-consuming. Recently, I came across a job posting that seemed promising, so I dedicated over an hour to tailor my application. I was thrilled to land an interview for this role, especially since it was located just 2 miles from my home. The pay seemed reasonable, and I was optimistic about the opportunity. However, I was caught off guard when I received the interview email detailing that the position required 80 percent travel, with some offices located over 100 miles away. The weather conditions in those areas were not ideal either. Despite my initial hesitation, I decided to proceed with the interview, thinking I might be overreacting. Unfortunately, the reality was even worse than I anticipated. During the interview, I learned that the offices were actually much farther away than I had expected, and they did not cover overnight stays for employees. If I couldn't complete my work in one day, I would have to drive back home and return the next day to continue. After discovering these details, I realized I could not accept the job, but I felt that I had wasted an hour of my time. I made sure to ask as many questions as possible about the travel requirements, wanting them to understand that this situation was unacceptable. I also noticed that they reposted the job, but they still failed to clearly disclose the travel expectations. This experience has highlighted some major red flags for me: the lack of transparency regarding travel requirements, the absence of a true home base, and the refusal to cover overnight accommodations. These issues made it clear to me that the work environment could be toxic. It's crucial for job seekers to ensure they have a complete understanding of the roles they're considering.

I had a second interview for a position that I initially applied for but ended up being considered for a higher role. The first interview went really well, so I was optimistic. During the second interview, which was a quick Zoom call, the interviewer asked me about my salary expectations. I was caught off guard because I had no idea what the position typically pays, especially since I couldn't find any information online. I ended up guessing a number that turned out to be on the higher end. The interviewer then proposed a lower amount, and I agreed to it, but I'm now questioning whether I should have pushed back or if I might have undervalued myself. I also mentioned needing two weeks to transition from my current job, and she advised me not to put in my notice yet since they are still finalizing job offer letters. This left me feeling a bit anxious about my chances of landing the job. I'm really hoping I get an offer soon, as I genuinely need this opportunity.

I recently graduated with a degree in Animation and have been working in food service, making just above minimum wage. Honestly, I'm feeling pretty burnt out on art and want to pivot into an office job—anything that pays, really. I've been applying to front desk positions like crazy, but it's been tough. I spent 2-3 months searching for jobs before landing my current role, and I've faced a lot of rejections, even for low-level retail jobs. My siblings think my degree might be a factor in why employers hesitate to hire me, fearing I'll leave as soon as I find something better. I'm just trying to figure out if this struggle is normal. I had one interview for a front desk position, and I even went through a day of unpaid training at a doctor's office, only to find out they didn't hire me afterward. I'm starting to doubt my chances of getting into an office job without more schooling or experience. Is anyone else going through something similar?

I came across a job posting that piqued my interest as I’m looking to pick up a second job for some extra income. The position involves handwriting messages on index cards and preparing them for mailing, which seemed straightforward at first. The job description outlines that I would need to handwrite a provided script onto 200 index cards per week, ensuring my handwriting is neat and legible. It mentions that I would be working from home at my own pace, but I would need to meet every 1-2 weeks with the employer to receive supplies and submit the completed cards. The pay is $200 per week or $1 per card, depending on what I choose. However, I started to feel uneasy when I read the details, especially about the lack of typing or printing and the requirement for consistent handwriting. I’m curious if anyone else has encountered a similar job or if this seems legitimate. I’ve seen some comments suggesting it might be a scam, which has made me hesitant to pursue it further.

I'm currently applying for research and lab jobs as a formulation scientist, regulatory affairs specialist, or scientist I in the biotech sector. My focus is on lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation development and analytical chemistry techniques like HPLC and UV-Vis. I've been targeting positions in the Los Angeles, San Diego, Bay Area, and greater Boston regions, but I'm based in Southern California. I'm seeking feedback on my CV to improve my chances of getting interviews. I suspect that my location may be a factor in my application rejections, especially for roles outside of my state. I'm curious about how to tailor my CV for these out-of-state opportunities and would appreciate any suggestions on what to add, remove, or modify.

Applied at Barclays for analyst

Applied at CapitalOne for Unknown

Applied at Apple for Retail Store Position

Applied at CMC Groups for sales position

I’m currently in the job search phase and have submitted around 40 applications, mostly to local retail stores and restaurants, but I’ve only managed to land 5 interviews without any offers yet. It’s frustrating because everyone I know seems to get hired quickly, often after just one or two applications. I’m starting to wonder if my resume is the problem. I’ve received some feedback suggesting that my resume might be poorly formatted and that including a section about my future goals could be a turn-off for employers. I’ve been told to focus more on my skills and relevant experience instead of indicating that I might not stay long in the position. I’m considering simplifying my resume and using a more standard template, as well as volunteering to gain some experience. I’m really looking for any advice on how to improve my resume and increase my chances of getting hired. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I currently work in technology at a large bank, where I started in 2022. Initially, I was performing well and was expecting a promotion by the end of 2025 based on my achievements and my manager's feedback. However, due to significant budget cuts, my previous team lost funding, and I was moved to a new team in February 2026. This transition has been challenging; I feel burned out after four years of hard work and now have to adapt to a new manager and different tools. Although my mid-year review in July was decent, my manager mentioned that I was completing tasks late, which has me worried. Recently, I overheard my coworker discussing interviews for an analyst position, which is my role, and it made me anxious about the possibility of being laid off. I'm actively applying for other positions, including one on a sister team, and I'm unsure how to approach my manager about my internal applications and my concerns about job security.

I recently applied for over 110 jobs in broadcasting and a paratransit driving position. I had an interview for the paratransit job yesterday, which pays between $26-$29 an hour and is unionized in the New York City area. I’ve been working as an Amazon delivery driver for over five years, but the new Rivian vans have been tough on my ankles due to their design. During the interview, I was open about my previous experience with paratransit and my autism, emphasizing my perfect driving record. However, I feel like my chances of landing this job are only about 30%. I also have a Zoom interview for a TV meteorologist position on Monday. Despite having nearly 16 years of volunteer broadcasting experience, I’m worried about the competitiveness of the industry, estimating my chances of getting this job at only 5%. The statistics are alarming: the unemployment rate for college graduates with autism is over 40%, and when you factor in underemployment, it jumps to 85%. This is a stark contrast to the 2.5% unemployment rate for neurotypical college graduates. I’ve spent 13 years in college, including a two-year break due to the pandemic, striving to achieve more just to have a fair chance. It feels like I have to put in ten times the effort for a fraction of the results, and I’m exhausted by the systemic ableism in the job market. It’s disheartening to see that despite increased awareness, nothing seems to change for autistic individuals seeking employment.