I was recently laid off from a biotechnology company where I had worked for six years due to restructuring. This has been a tough transition, especially considering my husband was also laid off three years ago from a high-paying job and has only managed to find work in food delivery, bringing in about $2,000 a month. Our savings can sustain us for about 8-9 months if we manage them strictly. Since my layoff, I've been actively applying for new positions for the past three weeks, but I've only received radio silence in response. I've reached out to my connections, but it seems they aren't able to help, despite what I've read about networking being beneficial. I've been following all the advice I can find: tailoring my resume for each job to pass ATS, writing cover letters, applying through job portals instead of using Easy Apply on LinkedIn, and even trying to find emails of key people at the companies I'm applying to in hopes of pitching myself directly. It feels uncomfortable to reach out to strangers who may not want to engage with me, and I'm starting to doubt whether this approach is effective or if I'm just wasting my time. After living in the USA for 25 years, I used to love my life, but everything feels different now. For the first time, I'm considering returning to my country of birth, something I never thought I would do. It's strange not to miss my former job, which I genuinely liked, and I left with a clear conscience knowing my performance was not the issue. Right now, I feel uncertain about my future and whether it's realistic to find a job in the senior mid-sector. With zero traction from my applications, I'm starting to lose hope. On the bright side, I've been keeping up with my fitness routine, doing yoga and strength training, and I'm in the best physical shape of my life, but unfortunately, that doesn't help pay the bills.