Is the job market tough or am I just useless?

[Mnetter72]

Had numerous rejections, not even made it to interview. I have had a couple of fill in the gap jobs so haven’t had experience for a couple of years in the roles I’m applying for. Will this penalise me? Just feel a bit hopeless

yeah its gone really weird. It's all AI and Robots now.

I'm not sure that companies understand how useless this process is to be honest.

I highly doubt you’re useless. What kind of industry/jobs are you applying for? Are you pointing out your transferable skills? Is it work you’ve done before?

The way that applications are handled, now, they often go into a ‘bin’ before any real person gets a chance to read it.

Indeed they do - it's so odd that companies are using this as a recruitment method. I can't fathom why thy think it's a good idea.

I’ve applied for more than 20 jobs in the last year. Barely invited to interview for them, even ones I think are completely nailed on with very relevant experience.

I spend ages tailoring each application and researching. Need to get more money before I lose my house next year due to much bigger mortgage payments and a separation.

I can only assume the job market is woeful. Otherwise im toast!

I hope something turns up for you. I have found asking clever friends for advice helps with reviewing my applications. I could do with more networking but hard to find the time.

Is there anyone you know who could vouch for you/refer you within their company? Have you said that you're open to work on Linkedin?

It’s so awful. Full of bots. Nightmare for recruiters but also genuine applicants are hidden in hundreds of nonsense applications. Where I have been interviewed each time I get “we were really impressed… you’re such a strong candidate… you were very close second (the the internal applicant who they knew all along would get it)”. It’s such a waste of everyone’s time, exhausting and emotionally damaging.

Same way they think offshoring is a good idea. They prioritise cost over value.

That's simply not true. If there's an internal candidate that is potentially a fit for the role, the Recruitment process is run to find out if there's anyone better out there. Why would they waste time and money on interviewing if they were not going to give you genuine consideration? Accept it, you just weren't as good as the internal.

I work alongside HR and the recruitment agencies. AI is increasingly being used to do a first scan of the applications but I don't know any company that wouldn't look at every single CV to be sure. AI speeds things up as it will identify the candidatez that do or dont match. This means you can quickly scan the 'rejects' to verify it. AI is nowhere near developed enough to make final decisions on humans. Recruiters know this.

I don't know, our team in a massive organisation recently had a vacancy.
We advertised externally and had some internal applicants who we don't know personally but the fact they are already in our (painfully slow) HR and IT systems gave their application a massive advantage.

Because my organisation has to go external no matter what - NHS.

Internal candidates do have a massive advantage but it doesn't mean they are nailed on to get the job. If there are stronger candidates out there, they will be appointed. It's the insinuation that companies are wasting people's time that galls me. It simply isn't true. If you're better than the internal, you'll get the job, if you're not, you won't.

Correct. (I've recruited for pretty much every Trust in the country over the years in England and Wales). They have to go outside to ensure that all possible options are considered therefore optimising the process and giving them the best chance of the best candidate. Internals and externals apply through the same route and the best candidate gets the job.

It’s more political than that - I’ve seen it from both ends. Love your naivety. I would say that I absolutely follow the process when recruiting but I’ve seen it play out very differently with jobs promised to internal candidates that crumbled in interviews but still got the job. Not all managers are good.

I agree there’s an element of that but there’s also an element of it being easier to recruit a less good internal candidate as they won’t need to have much induction.

@Mnetter72 absolutely not you!! The job market is absolutely dire. DH has been applying for jobs for months, and barely gets any interviews. He is very skilled in his field, but he gets rejection after rejection, and if he makes it to interview, there is always someone better. It is totally disheartening, and has affected our life so much. Fingers crossed for you, my DH, and anyone else going through this. It’s got to get better at some point.

Same for my DH - he's had about 15 interviews for 300+ applications I think, having been made redundant last year. Feedback has always been positive, but there's always someone who has pipped him to the post. He's a (very) senior marketing professional with a CV which recruiters have said is 'very strong' but he is coming to the conclusion that a very large factor is his age - apparently only 7% of the workforce in marketing/advertising is over 50 - which is shocking really. He's only 52 and doesn't feel ready to pivot to something else (and in any case really isn't sure what that would look like).

Thinking of you and hoping your DH is successful soon!

It is tough out there. Had to leave work as got bullied by the store manager who took the piss out of my dyslexia. He said dyslexia is something I should have grown out of etc. Raised a grievance and that did nothing as the area manager says he's a wonderful manager. In the 17 years of working there, had about 13-14 store managers, each one I got on well with them, and they appreciate my hard work, understood my dyslexia etc. But not the last one. If the store didn't get him as a manager, I would be working. Other stores in the area had no vacancies for me to transfer over to.

So I am jobless due to ONE person! I was the 8th or 9th colleague to leave due to his behaviour and he was doing EXACTLY the same at his previous store. People are thinking he's only working due to his religion/race. He's one that will play the race card if he was dismissed.

Have been on about 15-16 interviews in 6 months and getting nowhere. I have seen jobs which I applied at the beginning of the year and they are advertising the roles again. Chose the wrong person?

Have a friend who lives 170 miles from me and they are recruiting, Alas, only on site only. She works on reception for a place of a multinational company. She also does work with staff ID cards when new staff start, cards get lost and leave (sometimes has to block them as colleague doesn't come back with the card). She has noticed that the company are recruiting the young people and within a couple of months, the young ones give up. The older ones that start, still carry on. I know this is one company, but she thinks this is happening elsewhere and more certainly, at those places I have applied for jobs and now readvertising roles again. She wonders why does the company not understand why the younger ones are quitting and still hiring them.

I am getting so frustrated about not getting work that its affecting my physical health. I just want a job and will do anything (within reason) to get one.

AI does not understand transferrable skills. As applied for roles which I have done bits of the job in different roles. A human eye will give me an interview, AI - reject.

I am getting so bloody bored now.

Its extremely hard
The increases in NI
Corporation tax
Employee rights
Have made companies extremely wary of emplyoing people
I know two people who own their own companies who now want a oral reference from last employer#
Both will not employ any9ne under 35 as it it that age range that is statistically more likely to be off with stress or anxiety

My and others I know experience is that the younger ones have been told about their rights but not about responsibility
have a poor work ethic
cannot deal with pressure
not every one of course but a high proportion
The last 3 people I have employed have been 50 +
All have been great

If these companies would employ me - I'm 44, over those who are near to half my age, they wouldn't be needing to readvertise.

Experience both work and life are important

The public sector do this ALL THE TIME because they're often obliged to put a job out to the full market. It is absolutely soul destroying. It's often very obvious because they run the ad for a very, very short time in as obscure a way as they can get away with. I guess they're trying to protect all those hopeful candidates from wasting their time, as well as trying to minimise the likelihood of a candidate coming along who is clearly head and shoulders better than the internal one they've already lined up. Private sector is different.