I'm trying to understand why job hunting feels so tough right now. The last time I looked for work was right before the pandemic, and with about six years of professional experience, I was landing interviews left and right—grabbed a job in just a week! But now, I have five more years of experience and a solid skill set, yet I recently applied for a few positions only to find far fewer vacancies than before, despite the massive influx of applicants. I've sent out a dozen applications, but it feels like I'm getting nowhere. What changed and why is finding a job suddenly so daunting?
3 Answers
A big part of the shift started around a few years ago. During the pandemic, many people took new jobs with better pay, while companies also had to downsize or lay off a lot of employees. You probably noticed how after that, huge layoffs hit places like Twitter and other big firms, which only added to the competition. Plus, some changes in tax rules made it tougher for startups to thrive and hire new folks. With AI coming on strong in recruiting, it feels like you have to really tweak your resume to even get noticed by the systems. Overall, fewer startups and a changing focus in businesses means they're hiring less, making the job market tighter than before.
That's interesting! I didn’t realize how much tech layoffs were impacting the job market overall.
Yeah, AI's become a game-changer in recruitment. If your resume isn’t perfectly formatted or doesn’t hit the right buzzwords, it's unlikely to get past the initial filters that AI screening tools use.
I’ve heard about that! Makes it feel like getting a job is all about playing the resume game now.
It might seem sudden, but remember, the economy is just in a rough patch right now. Many companies are being cautious; they aren't firing people fast but aren't hiring new talent either, keeping rates low across the board.
Totally get that! It's tough to see no new opportunities coming up.
For sure! It’s like the landscape has completely flipped, and the stakes feel higher now.