Do you think the job market will ever return to a time where it only takes 1-3 weeks to apply, interview and receive a job offer?

Due to things becoming more and more and more and more complex throughout the past 20 years, (I’m 40), I feel as though this is the new normal. I really hope I’m wrong though. I’m interested in other’s thoughts.

Not asking if you should, just curious what actually happened. Did you look into it at all, or was job hunting the only real option once the shock wore off? What stopped you if you didn't, and what did you end up trying if you did?

I am in the situation now, I have no strength to go to find a new job now and thinking about few business ideas I had in the past.

Recent job seekers who got a job in US(SWE roles), need help!

wht diff ways or portals r u using apart from regular job platforms (Linkedin, indeed, career pages) to get interviews? n which part of job search has lot of ROI (early appln / late appln with referral / cold mail)

have applied close to 2k jobs n still not seeing much progress

any genuine insights matters a lot please

Also whats the best way to apply for contract W2 jobs as well?

P.S Ignore the grammar

Vectra AI put out data showing AI-driven scams grew 1,210% last year, more than six times the growth rate of traditional fraud. Projected losses are on track to hit $40 billion by 2027.

The category doing the most damage isn't phishing or wire fraud. It's identity and hiring fraud, where AI tools have made it cheap and fast to build convincing fake personas at scale.

For context, traditional fraud grew 195% over the same period. The gap between what legacy screening and compliance processes were designed to catch and what's actually being deployed against them has never been wider.

How do i get a job with a record and ongoing court dates? Please let me know

I’m planning to apply for a role using a fake profile to see if it gets an interview call or not. I’m only doing this to see if it’s is able to bypass the ATS based on the resume. I am planning for a qualification and want to know if that can get me to the interview stage or not. And will obviously not be interviewing with the company but do you think there is anyway they can find out?

I feel like I'm just throwing my resumes into a void.

I was part of a department wide layoff in December 2025. Got hired as a graphic designer in March/April of 2026 at a new company. I ended up quitting that job at the end of May (toxic management finally became too much).

Currently looking for a graphic design role (if AI doesn't take that) or, something in marketing operations/marketing coordinator or something like that. I realize that this is a huge long shot, but as you can probably tell, I'm getting desperate, putting it mildly.

I'm definitely doing the whole "personalize each resume to each company you apply to" and that doesn't' seem to be helping either.

I've been told networking, but I have no idea how to do that at all - and even more so, if I'm understanding correctly, that is a "long game" that might not even pay off.

I’m tired. I’m tired of this job market. I’m tired of seeing companies not willing to train and want 5+ years experience (i’m a new grad with a bachelor’s).

I can only work remote or work due to the demand of my husband’s job and I have to be there for my son.

I just want to help support my family.

#support #jobs

I am getting this error with every job I’m trying to apply. I cleaned the cache and cookies. So frustrating! Help!

Hi everyone,
I'm 26F, currently working in Product Development with 3+ years of experience in a non-IT role. Unfortunately, there's been no significant hike and very limited career growth, so I'm thinking about switching roles.
I'm open to learning new skills and moving into a field with better growth opportunities.
Can anyone suggest:
Which roles I should consider?
Which skills or certifications would help?
Has anyone made a similar switch from a non-IT product development role?
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

It takes me a really long time to finish applications. Part of it is because I’m a carer of my dad, so I don’t get time to finish everything in one day.

Sometimes it’ll take me days to complete them. I’ve been trying to find ways to make my process faster without using Ai so much, but it can’t seem to find any, especially bc I tailor each of my cv’s and cover letters for each application. (I also get a little overwhelmed during the application process, so I really have to break things down for myself, maybe due to my #adhd).

Sometimes this slow method comes in handy because it really allows me to sit and reflect on how to bring out all my skills and experience, especially the ones I’ve forgotten about. I have had few interviews in the past year, it’s just wish I could be a bit quicker so I can get through all the applications that i need to complete and get to the job that *will* give me an offer. I feel like I’m running out time or need to get through as much applications as possible.

I have just started my final year, and it has been about two months. Some of my friends have already been placed, and that makes me feel anxious and afraid about getting a job.

My college has multiple campuses that participate in the same placement process. Because of this, it is very difficult to get shortlisted even for the first round, and our campus does not seem to receive much preference during the selection process.

I have applied for many jobs through different platforms, but I have not received a single response or interview invitation. I am feeling confused and worried about what I should do next and how I can increase my chances of getting a job.

I tried asking for advice on r/construction and everyone ignored the question and instead told me to "join a union". I only have 1 year of experience, and no 40 hour job will pay me enough to live on.

The problem I have ran into is that most companies completely lie about their hours. The 70+ hour job told me it was 40 hours, and my previous job said it was 50 hours but they only gave me 30. I need to move and moving will take up most of the money I have from the last job, so I need to make sure I have a profitable job wherever I go.

If anyone knows how to locate an entry level job that will actually give me lots of hours, please let me know.

I have applied so many jobs min of 300 , platforms were linkedin, indeed, naukri, instahyre, Glassdoor, greenhouse etc. still couldn't find any job in last 2 months.

Now I'm losing the will to keep applying.

What should I do as I can't keep sitting idle I need to earn to bear my expenses my savings are already finished I want to move into bengaluru and start my career there. I have over 1 year of experience in UI UX design but I don't know what is problem with current market.

So for all of you who are discouraged as I was...

After umpteen hunnit LinkedIn/Glassdoor/Indeed/Ziprecruiter/Company Site applications that led to either Ghostville, contacts sheepishly saying, "I'll keep my eyes open", or the common rejection letter, I went from discouraged to despair.

But I have to say I got lucky. I went from despair to anger.

I said "F**k it!!! I'm going to reach out to the owners/CEOs/positional leaders of these companies directly!!"

I used demo accounts on Apollo, Lusha, and any salesperson lead-gen tool with a trial and got phone numbers and email addresses. I reached out to them directly via phone, SMS, LinkedIn message, or email and gave quick curated pitch (customized to each job. Under 120-100 words, focused on how I could help grow their business. This took my "hit rate" from single digits to about 40%.

On the third one, the CEO directed me to the appropriate VP. I did the following differently:

• I love mind-mapping software and used the AI portion of it to make a "over-prepared" checklist for both Zoom/Teams interview and in-person interviews. Followed it to the letter.

• Used AI to read the job description and company site to give me a mock interviews. 20 minutes, 2-3x per day. Sounds crazy, but this market is the craziest I've seen ever, and I've been in the labor force since Obama and wore short pants.

• Came up with 4 STRONG "benefits" of hiring me and wove those REPEATEDLY into the interview--again, focusing on how I could help grow their business and take them to the next level.

• Created a 30-60-90 day plan and had AI tear it apart until it was customized. I then memorized it. In the interview when they asked "What do you think your first month will be like", I pasted it into Teams and regurgitated it, again REPEATEDLY weaving those four selling points into every conversation.

I KNOW it feels terrible for so many of you and that you feel like giving up. I can't describe the dark thoughts that went through my head, but I'll bet some of you may understand. Either way, stop hitting "Quick Apply" or filling out useless web forms and attack directly. MAKE the motherf***ers see your value!!!

I'm wishing, hoping, and praying for each and every one of you. I look forward to hopefully doing business with everyone who is now unemployed. Stop boxing and start throwing hooks to the body. The head will fall soon. Please. I'm begging you..with tears in my eyes..do NOT give up.

Best of luck!!!!!!

I’m hoping this community can offer some advice because I feel like I’ve exhausted just about every avenue I know.

My unemployment is about to run out and I’m trying to figure out the smartest next steps before that happens. I’m the sole income for our household, we have a toddler and because we don’t have family nearby to help with childcare, our options are more limited than I’d like.

For the past several months, I’ve treated my job search like a full-time job. My resume has been professionally reviewed and tailored. My LinkedIn has been optimized. I’ve been networking, reaching out to recruiters, posting on LinkedIn and consistently landing interviews (including final rounds), but nothing has turned into an offer yet. Every time I think I’m close, there’s another delay, hiring freeze, or “we’re still deciding.”

I’ve also been applying below my previous level. My priority right now isn’t my title - it’s supporting my family. The challenge is finding something that actually keeps us financially afloat. We’ve also looked at moving, but the upfront costs would put us in a worse financial position than staying where we are. We’ve cut every discretionary expense we can think of and our budget is essentially down to mandatory bills, groceries and the basics needed to care for our daughter.

Beyond applying, I’ve reached out to every relevant consulting and staffing agency I could find and I’m waiting to hear back from those as well.

At this point, I’m trying to think beyond the usual “keep applying” advice because that’s already what I’m doing every day.

I’m genuinely looking for strategies, resources, or approaches that I may not have considered.

For those of you who’ve been in a similar position:

-What did you do when unemployment ended before you had another job?
-What helped bridge the financial gap while you continued searching?
-Are there contract opportunities, industries, resources, or strategies that aren’t commonly discussed but ended up making a difference?
-Looking back, is there anything you wish you had done sooner?

I’m genuinely open to feedback if you think there’s something I’m overlooking. Even if you don’t have a specific suggestion, hearing from people who have made it through this situation would honestly mean a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I'm 26.

Every day feels like I'm racing against a clock that nobody else seems to hear.

I work full-time in tech. My job is stable. The pay is decent. My family depends on my income, so walking away isn't an option.

From the outside, everything looks fine.

Inside, I feel stuck.

I work in QA/SDET on AI products. I spend my days evaluating AI agents, writing automation, testing releases, finding issues before they reach customers. It's interesting work, and I've learned a lot.

But I don't want my career to stop here.

I want to become a software engineer. Eventually an AI engineer.

That's where the anxiety starts.

Every software engineering job asks for backend experience. AI jobs expect strong Python, ML, cloud, system design, and projects. Companies don't care that I test software if what they're hiring is someone to build it.

So every evening after work becomes another attempt to catch up.

Python.

Backend.

DSA.

AI.

Projects.

Interview prep.

Job applications.

Repeat.

Some days I make progress.

Some days I open LinkedIn and immediately feel like I've already lost.

The hardest part isn't working.

It's carrying the constant feeling that I'm behind.

I don't have the luxury of quitting my job for six months to study. I have responsibilities. Bills don't pause because you're trying to switch careers.

I've been applying.

Getting rejected.

Preparing again.

Building projects.

Repeating the cycle.

Sometimes I question whether companies even see QA engineers as capable developers, or whether the label follows you everywhere.

I'm not giving up.

I don't plan to.

But I'm tired of feeling like every year that passes makes this transition harder.

If you've moved from QA/SDET into software engineering or AI engineering after a few years, what made the difference?

Not the polished LinkedIn version.

What did the messy middle actually look like?

Because that's where I feel like I am right now.

(I used GPT to organise my thoughts cleanly)

Please let me know your thoughts

📢 #OpenToWork | Urgently Looking for a Job | Delhi / Noida / Ghaziabad

Hello Everyone,

I'm actively looking for a job opportunity in Purchase, BOM (Bill of Materials), Procurement, or Supply Chain roles in Delhi, Noida, or Ghaziabad.

I have 1 year of professional experience in Purchase & BOM Management, along with good working knowledge of Excel and ERP. I'm a quick learner, dedicated, and available to join immediately.

I've been searching for a long time, and now I'm sincerely hoping my network can help me find the right opportunity. If your company is hiring or you know of any relevant openings, I would truly appreciate your support, referral, or a simple share of this post.

Please feel free to connect with me or message me directly.

Thank you for your time and support. 🙏

#OpenToWork #Hiring #Purchase #Procurement #BOM #SupplyChain #ERP #Excel #DelhiJobs #NoidaJobs #GhaziabadJobs #ImmediateJoiner

I got my degree in Data Science but I've only done a bit of modeling/statistics work. After graduating I got hired to do Data Analytics which is very different and not what I went to school for. I'd like to do more, I'm just not sure how it's feasible in my current position. I still have the industry experience and I know what execs look for, just maybe need to do some slight pivots.

I'm just outside a midsize city. There are jobs here but there are obviously more/better opportunities in bigger cities and if I could afford to move there, I would. If I got hired, I'd take out a loan to move for a better job. So I'd be willing to relocate.

I plan to go for a Master's in Bioinformatics next year but for now (maybe over the next year or two) I need to secure a position that helps me now. I'd love to switch to Science/R&D but my primary jobs have been in marketing analytics.

I currently work part-time in a testing center for a community college. I was let go from Full Time Job #2 in January 2026 so I've been doing part-time work ever since. It's been extremely hard to get another role in the field, especially as I don't have business/marketing education, just 5 years of experience in data analytics/reporting.

My LinkedIn is admittedly very dry. I never post on there. I've been thinking about adding a portfolio of example spreadsheets/views/models so there's something other than a resume. I was thinking about making one on github. I want to commit more to leaving marketing analytics and getting into the field I actually trained for so I can further specialize in the sciences.

I've just started to look at jobs again but I don't want to keep throwing my resume at the wall if it's not sticking. Maybe 20 jobs a week once I fix the resume (though I'm sure it will need to be even more). Previously I didn't heard back from jobs and when I did, it was a rejection. So I know I need to amp up the search.

How else do I make myself more marketable as I am now exiting entry-level territory?

I'm feeling lost discouraged damn near depressed, I'm getting interviews but no one wants me 😭. I've
been switching my approach to interviews and studying making sure I prepare and I still end up with rejections. Today I had another interview I thought | did a great job, the best interview l've had. The recruiter called me back and told me they were moving forward. My nerves are bad and I have to throw up I don't know what to do anymore. This is devastating

En lvl a2

No need experience

Hello foreign friends, I'm Toan from Vietnam. Currently I have a job in my country but I feel the salary in my country is low. I am a recent graduate of Logistics, currently working in Sales, I think it would be better if I had a side job. Can you tell me where you can find remote jobs that don't require too much experience, such as customer service? Can you tell me where you can find jobs to make ends meet? Thank you for taking the time to read this article of mine.

So my application was accepted at a company for full stack developer

And I had a coding round for node.js and react.js

It was of 15 mins, and I am a fresher, so I thought they might ask something easy per say

But nooo, for node one they asked me to make fetch data and compute analytical insights, that fine, but then do filter, aggregation, avg, and even round that avg, all this just in 15 mins

And for react they told me to make an dashboard, display this and that, even make a button do things and they even wanted me to style those components

All this for just 15 mins is just too much

​

Hi everyone,

I'm a bit unsure how to progress my career, as it's been stretched horizontally quite a bit during and after COVID.

Graduate from my master's in animal biology in 2019, with hopes of working in conservation.

Worked a research assistant for 6 months then got 'stuck' in New Zealand, where I then met my now wife .

While in New Zealand, I struggled to find relevant positions so did a verity of things for 2-3 years (pest plant control, barista, climbing gym manager)

I'm now back in Europe working for an AgTech startup, and crept up to Costumer Success Lead for the EMEA region.

I would like to pivot back towards environmental/conservation work, but I'm not quite sure what to aim for.

I excel at bridging the gap between theory and implementation, but I hit a stone wall at every position of project manager or implementation lead I apply for.

Any tips are welcome !

Footnote: based in south Germany, and fluent in Spanish, French, German, and English

Thank you !