'It is job repellent': Job seekers change LinkedIn profile photos to say they're 'desperate for work'

It is no surprise that most people who have spent a long time looking for a job are pretty cynical about the process. There are only so many rejections and straight-up sending applications into the ether that anybody can take. Add to the fact that anyone seeking work is supposed to be permanently switched on and marketing themselves, and you get a phenomenon like the #DESPERATE profile picture on LinkedIn, with job seekers using the label to advertise exactly how they feel about trying to find a role.

Supposedly, things are not necessarily as bad as they seem with the labor market. A survey by Indeed this summer suggested that levels of unemployment were likely to remain steady from this year into the next, with only a 1.6% decrease in job postings between now and June 2027. For anybody who is out of work and struggling, though, even the smallest dip is likely to be noticeable. There remains a lot of uncertainty with how AI is going to continue to affect the workplace, with many forecasters in the survey expecting it to put pressure the wages of the college-educated in particular.

As many reacting to the #DESPERATE phenomenon have argued, it is not exactly the greatest marketing to attract potential employers. It is more an expression of frustration about a job market which seems to be a lot more difficult than it needs to be. There are plenty of qualified, competent people who want nothing more than to earn a living, but they have to be given the chance to do that. In the face of so much competition and rejection, it is no wonder that they poke fun at themselves and also the system that they have no choice but to participate in.