Laid off job seeker with expecting wife applies for 4500 jobs in a year, moves back in with family to avoid debt: 'I just don't know anymore'

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  • A man wearing business attire and glasses shakes hands with another man across a table
  • Job market is so bad I would be homeless if not for family

    I was laid off March of last year and have applied to over 4500 jobs since then (yes I have counted then gave up).
  • And had very little opportunities with interviews, some dragging on for 6-8 interviews followed by delays and ghosting.
  • But a summary about my professional experience, I am an experienced radar engineering technician who was under contract with the federal government and has a solid technical and maintenance background, I hold multiple certificates and certifications relevant to safety, inspection, project management, site operations, data protection/cybersecurity, and maintain my safety clearance.
  • I am also married and my wife is due in 3 months. Since then I have exhausted my unemployment looking for work.
  • From altering my resume 50 times, pursuing extremely low pay doing anything, doing walkins (for jobs up to 3 hours away), consistently calling, reaching out to the hiring manager, crafting specific resumes for positions applied, cover letters, references, being referred, researching every company top to bottom before an interview, mastering interview skills, handing out resumes, going to career events, using employment assistance/agencies, thousands upon thousands of useless accounts created for
  • Close-up of a man in business attire wearing glasses
  • I have even had both family and friends connect me to employees or managers they personally know within the companies to vouch for me, then refer/recommend me to give me a seemingly boost in chances, then getting on hands and knees to my pray to God for it to workout.
  • I have done it all, all of this to no avail. I had used up all of my savings on living and right before I was considering selling plasma or anything else to avoid being on the streets, my family then stepped in to help.
  • Now we are currently living with family and I am working for them to have a roof over our heads and for them to cover our current living expenses until our lease expires so that we don't acquire debt.
  • As of right now, I am utterly hopeless and do not know what's to come. I have grown from being furious, to depr sed, to flippant, and now empty and defeated.
  • I just don't know anymore. My heart goes out to anyone else struggling with the job market, much more anyone who doesn't have family to support them.
  • A laptop and a clipboard with a piece of paper entitled 'my resume' on it
  • No_Effort2680 I'm currently going through the same thing. My husband was laid off for a whole year and still hasn't found a decent job. We are two months away from losing our home after exhausting 6 months worth of savings. Our deferment with our mortgage is expiring next month as well. So we our SOL. My husband has tried everything you can think of and it's so heartbreaking seeing him hopeful when he gets interviews but then hear nothing for weeks. I hate it here. We hate it here. My husband an
  • The_Ryba_Na_Petukhe Original Poster's Reply This is awful, I am extremely sorry to hear that. It is one of the most depressing experiences to know your worth and not even be acknowledged for something below it. I couldn't imagine being in a mortgage right now much more trying to get rid of it. Thank you for sharing, I pray you both come out of this as well!
  • RuleTheOne Chr t, 4.5k apps in a year? Stories like yours and others is why there needs to be a social upheaval, looking for work like this should not be the norm
  • CaramelParking8382 4500 apps is honestly brutal. sounds like you've already done way more than most people would. one thing that might help (if you haven't tried it yet) is focusing less on cold applications and more on the clearance + defense contractor side of the market. with radar tech experience and an active clearance, companies like defense contractors or subcontractors usually hire through referrals and niche job boards more than normal job sites. sometimes those roles don't even show up
  • The_Ryba_Na_Petukhe Original Poster's Reply You are definitely right, but when it comes to defensive roles/subcontractors it is a very long and delayed process where you could do everything right and still not get the job because the contract wasn't successful, they didn't receive funding ect. Honestly unreliable employment as well, contract work is the reason I was laid off. But overall I am thankful for family being there and thankful for the experience, certifications, and qualifications I ha
  • Zealousideal-Net2140 In my opinion volume clearly is not the problem here. When someone has applied to thousands of jobs, rewritten resumes, networked, and followed up this much, effort is not the issue. The market is just extremely rough right now. What might help more at this point is structure, not more applications. Focusing on fewer roles that closely match your background and targeting them through referrals or direct contacts can sometimes work better than sending more resumes into portal
  • huatahh I happened to know a Redditor that had underwent a mass layoff from Seattles. Came back to SG and found that unable to secure a job. we had a conversation yesterday actually. Yes, I am also facing the same issue as everyone else. Initially, I thought I was the problem, be it age, or due to my industry being a niche one, etc.. But I somehow realized it is not the case. Currently, it is the employer's world right now. Just have to endure after this crazy economy ends. I sincerely hope that
  • ArcticLil Honestly, knowing someone who is putting in all this work into applying and has all this experience and skills and is still struggling like me makes me feel a little better. It's not you, it's not me. It's a really job market right now. But I'm glad you have your family who is supporting you and congratulations on the baby. I got laid off in December but my hours were cut over the summer, it was a slow fall, high stress. My lease ends this month but at least my family is offering help,
  • goldenlife17 Highly recommend anyone reading this to maybe try looking into the trades. 1) it can pay extremely well 2) some companies will train the right person. My dad actually owns a company and he loves hiring people with no experience in his specific trade so he can teach them a specific way (they aren't bringing bad habits from a competitor, etc.) It doesn't have to be a long term change but just something for the interim. My grandfather used to go about hiring years ago when he owned the
  • Stellar_Bluebird I have been there. I know this is desperate time and it seems like this will never end. But have faith. You just need that 1 interview call. I would say concentrate on the quality of your applications than quantity. Modify your resume to the job role, and make cold calls, reach out to people directly over linkedin. I am sure something is waiting for you just around the corner.

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