Support thread for job hunters...anyone else losing their mind?!

[Wiggle975]

As the title says, is anyone else worn out, and starting to lose their mind through job applications and interviews?

I am exhausted and starting to get very fed up with it all. The wasting of time.

@Winterjoy it's really hard. I find it useful just to have bullet points printed out; too many notes and I can't read it quick enough. Good luck, the more we interview the better we'll get!

I had an interview for a job I would really like, so in that waiting area now that is so hard. I wish I could know one way or the other as I know it'll play on me over the weekend.

Thank you, I will take a look. I think it's more a physiological reaction as I don't find the questions hard as such, I know what I should be saying, I just go into panic mode and it all falls apart. I've got a prescription for beta blockers to try next time and hopefully that will help. I'm never like this in a job - I'm actually really good in a crisis and known to colleagues as the one who stays calm no matter what. But based on the interview the employer is probably worried I'll fall apart in a light breeze!

Good luck 🤞 hope its successful.

Try and forget about it and enjoy the weekend (easier said than done of course - I know mine was a disaster and yet still keep checking my email for the rejection so I can draw a line under it).

I said in the other thread but realise it's more suitable here that I'm still waiting to hear back from my interview last Wed. I'm fairly certain I'd have heard by now if it was positive so that's fine, I just want to know either way.

I've seen another job I'd like now but I am exhausted by it all and can't bring myself to do another application until I'm sure I didn't get this one. Sigh.

I know that feeling @RainbowWife

I'm stuck in jobhunter purgatory - too senior the junior roles but not enough experience/recent sector experience for the roles similar to the level I've worked at previously

I am getting rather fed up with the whole thing especially the level of energy required to go through the whole process only for it to likely end in a no at the end. I know that's not how I should be thinking - I should be thinking that one day it'll be a yes and I need to keep ploughing on until I get to the 'yes'. But i'm just utterly exhausted with it all. I have 20+ years experience in this field, I've had exposure to most of the main tasks/skills I'd be expected to, and I still can't land a job, and barely even an interview, so something must be very wrong for my life to have ended up like this.

I hope you’re not waiting too much longer @RainbowWife Did they tell you when they expected to make a decision?

I’m also waiting to hear back from an interview- pretty sure I didn’t get it but ditto can’t face doing any more applications until I know for sure.

@IDontHateRainbows yes I’m with you in struggling to summon the energy to write an application, just for roll of the interview dice if you’re lucky…
It’s just a really tough market out there but so hard to keep the faith. I remember you’ve had interviews so you know you’re on the right track. It helps me to remember when I’ve been on the recruiting side before- if you have multiple strong candidates it can be pretty much luck who gets it in the end.

Everything feels so much more competitive recently and I've never struggled to find work before either. It's so frustrating when you do a decent application for a job where you meet all the person specifications but don't even get an interview.

@Blueskycat they just said 'next week'. I am sure I'd have heard by now. It's poor form not to let people know either way though! If I don't hear by tomorrow afternoon I'll send an email asking for feedback I think.

Agree @RainbowWife - you then have the dilemma of whether you wait it out for something suitable or lower your criteria to things that you'd have said no to in the past based on salary/sector/seniority etc.

As it is I think I have an interview for a role which is interim for 9 months but two aspects are not ideal - industry sector and level. Actually the salary is not ideal either but that's probably a given now. I'm just thinking 'any port in a storm' but then in 9 months I can see myself struggling because the last thing on my CV would be this role that is not really suitable. Not sure what to do - feels like I am at the mercy of fate.

So the job I had an interview for a month ago, they hired internally.

I backed off contacting them sooner in case I was too keen. I mean I know no news is good news but still… so frustrating.

@IDontHateRainbows and @RainbowWife I feel exactly the same way as you about applying or even interviewing or considering certain roles.

I had a Teams interview this week where the interviewer turned off her camera, because she had a cold. Not heard anything back and that was on Monday.

Wow @Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain I don't know what to say about her turning off her camera! That would make me feel strange. What did you do?

I had a written exercise as part of my interview last week, and she made me keep my camera on (I assume so I didn't get someone else to do it for me) while she turned hers off. I felt extremely self conscious!!!

I've just had this email, so seems all is not lost yet...

It's 'the lesser of two evils' but I'm beginning to think if I can survive financially it looks marginally better to have a gap on my cv than a step backwards job

V tempted to put something on my cv to cover the gap like the following:
X date to X date; Took time out after my fixed term contract ended to travel and develop new hobbies whilst seeking my next opportunity.

Obviously I'd have something up my sleeve in terms of travel/ hobbies.

Does that sound OK or a bit cringe
Been a few months now so I have to put something to cover the time elapsed

@IDontHateRainbows oh I hear you completely. My last role was for 18 months and way below my level/grade but I took it as I was pretty in need of a job at the time, not thinking that I now have to explain why I did it or how it looks on my CV, which is that I took a backwards step. It suited me at the time though as it was part time so in my last interview when they asked about it (which I'd hoped they wouldn't!) I said 'I took a job with less responsibility for a fixed term as it was part time and I was helping my child through their GCSE years, but now I'm keen to return to my level' or something along those lines.

I think that's a great explanation for a CV gap

Sounds like maybe the first choice is messing them around? That or they've suddenly decided they can't afford the new role and it may be pulled or turned into a ftc or more junior role? Not unheard of for requirements to change at the 11th hour

Hope it's the former and you're still in with a chance.

The travel isn't a lie, I have discovered the wonderful world of youth hostelling ( not just for youths!) and am currently in the peak district pint in hand! It's all I can afford on my slender means but it's possible to get a private en suite for less than £30 and I bring my own food to have in the sc kitchen!

I used to travel a lot for work, and life can get very samey when you're unemployed so I try to do this once a month at least. If nothing else it's a night off from the kids and housework!

She didn’t even turn her camera on, just started the interview and said she had a cold. Didn’t say why that’s the camera was off. Weird.

I just talked but unsurprisingly felt strange that she didn’t have her camera on.

I can sort of see why they made you have your camera off but even so, that’s a trust issue right there.

@RainbowWife I think you could be in with a chance.

The only reason I had a telephone interview (was supposed to be Zoom but that didn’t work) was because the person doing the role I’d be doing and they’d made them redundant or they didn’t pass their probation was because they wasn’t good enough for the role, a good fit and enough generally as an employee.

Long time lurker here. It feels good to hear everyone's shared experiences. I also hate my job and I'm very close to quitting (might actually quit next week). Been looking all year but haven't had an interview since April. Any tips on how to rejig the layout my supporting statement (for applications) and cover letters? Been making use of templates online and Chat GPT (think they'rea bit rubbish. Any agencies to recommend? Looking professional mostly public sector, local gov, nhs jobs. TIA for any suggestions!

So i have an interview for a role which is so far from what I actually want on Monday - not sure whether to go for it or not. I asked a recruiter friend if it would kill my CV when I'm next looking - she said pretty much but if you need an income you need an income. Thing is, I'm not completely desperate yet. Sick of being skint but holding our heads above water. I'm just afraid of being long term unemployed. But in 9 months time (this role is a mat cover) will I end up being unemployed again as will be even more difficult to get the role I really want? Then again work is work and it's still in HR so not like a completely different profession. HR are very fussy on industry sector now, especially in a tight market and I'm desperately trying to steer away from the public sector (which this interview is, I didn't apply for it but was approached by a recruiter I'd worked with before and thought 'any port in a storm.') WWYD?

@RainbowWife unexpected delay could mean anything, I’ve got my fingers crossed for you!
I haven’t heard about my interview from Tues yet, was hoping to hear before the weekend but there you go…

@IDontHateRainbows I guess you could do the interview and see if the process helps you make a decision? Sometimes being closer to the reality of a choice makes it much easier to know what you actually want! Also I guess you wouldn’t have to put it on your CV in future if you felt like it looked worse than a gap? But at the same time if you can afford to hang on for a bit longer then don’t put pressure on yourself to take it if your gut is saying it will cause problems further down the line… tricky decision.

I'm still looking. I posted on this thread back in February, I had been looking casually since September 2023. In May I got made redundant. I'm still looking, have applied for over 100 jobs. Have lowered my sights considerably, am willing to take a 40% pay cut. Still can't get anything. I've interviewed twice, got through to the second interview on one but didn't get it.

I've had several recruiters look at my CV, all said it was great.

I can't even pick up any temp roles, even supermarket night shifts at minimum wage.

I don't know what to do next and quite honestly I've lost the will to live. I feel like a complete failure and have no self confidence left.

It's terrible isn't it @roycroppersshopper . I feel this is like 'the recession that dare not speak its name' as the reported unemployment figures seem to be hiding the fact that a lot of people are in this situation - I guess the min wage, zero hour jobs are hiding the true figures? I have never, ever struggled to find work before. The longest I was out of work was 12 weeks at the back end of the pandemic after being made redundant and I thought it was tough then as lots of people were looking, but there were jobs and I was getting interviews.

I have been looking since June albeit took a bit of a break in August - despite having 20+ years experience, a professional qualification etc I have only had 4 interviews in that time all of which came to nowt. It seems my experience is counting against me now as most of the 'traffic' in the jobs in my area are at the lower level that I spent ages trying to move on from after having a family.... I am now in the dilemma of whether to take one of those, if indeed I am offered, for income or to wait it out for a more suitable role. But every time I apply for a more suitable role it disappears into the ether or I get knocked back for lacking this, that or the other.

I don't know what to do anymore. I'm sorry you are losing the will to live. I keep telling myself something will come up at some point. I had a friend who was long term unemployed a couple of years ago and she got pretty despondent. She was out for two years but eventually she got a job, just a temporary one, but it lead to more and now she's on a good salary in a perm role. So hang on in there - it won't last forever.

I'm also still looking. I've been applying for jobs for about a year now. Looking back I realise that my search at first was too haphazard, and not targeted enough. I was also looking at roles much lower than my qualifications, mostly because that reflects my current role.

I've redlined my CV I don't know how many times but I think it might finally e a good fit, and I think I now have the right target. I had 2 zoom interviews this week, both for roles I didn't apply for but recruiters found me. One is particularly promising, though I do miss one Vital bit of experience which might mean I don't get it.

Either way I feel now that I am applying for the right roles and my CV is right. Maybe one day I'll actually get a job.

Decided to pull out of the 'not right' job interview I've got for tomorrow. I know interview practice Yada Yada but I just can't muster up the energy. Even just reading the job description made me want to weep. It's fully remote too and whilst I'm no stranger to wfh I think I need some time with people again especially after being out of work.

Feel bad pulling out but better that than I waste people's time, my own included.

Back to the drawing board!

I got the job! It turns out the company announced a hiring freeze the day of the interviews, so they had to apply to the ceo for permission to go ahead, hence the delay. Yay!

Really wishing everyone on this thread the best of luck. It's been a pretty miserable time honestly, it's draining, so I hope everyone gets lucky. Thank you for all of the good vibes and support you've all given me.