I've been actively job hunting for the past few months, and it's been incredibly frustrating. I live in a small town where the job market is pretty limited, mostly consisting of retail and warehouse positions, which I find unfulfilling. I've applied to numerous jobs, hoping for a callback, but it feels like I'm just going in circles. I've had a few interviews, but every time I follow up, I get the same response: they say they're still reviewing applications or will have the hiring manager check on my status, but I never hear back. It's been three months of this back-and-forth, and with the holiday season approaching, I'm feeling the pressure. I have five years of retail experience and have also worked in logistics, but it seems like my applications just get lost in the shuffle. I wish employers would be more transparent about their hiring processes instead of leaving candidates hanging. It's disheartening to think every time my phone rings that it might be a job offer, only to find out it's just spam. I've even checked some of my applications online, and it's alarming to see some still marked as 'received' since 2020. This whole experience has been a real struggle.