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From endless applications to small victories, readers reveal what job hunting in Greater Boston really feels like right now. For many in the Boston area, the job hunt has become less of a process and more of a prolonged, disheartening battle. We recently asked readers how long they’ve been looking for a job. Of the 115 respondents to our poll, 46 people (40%) said they’ve been job hunting for over a year — the largest group by far. Only two people (2%) reported being on the hunt for less than a month, whereas 45% combined said they’ve been looking for between one and 12 months. We also received a handful of e-mail submissions from readers who went in depth on their job hunt. Some have endured the process for multiple years. Kristine A. from Dorchester said she has submitted her resume to over 600 organizations over the last three years and participated in roughly 60 interviews, with no luck. “It’s simply grueling,” she said. J.D. from Somerville, who has been searching for more than a year, said it’s been frustrating not even securing interviews for roles he’s successfully performed before — noting that age discrimination in the tech sector “is very real.” Katie S. from Blackstone described the experience as eerily quiet. “The hardest part of job hunting right now is the silence,” she said. “The waiting has become the hardest work of all.” “You put so much effort into customizing applications, but most companies never respond — not even to say no,” she added. It’s not just that job hunting itself is tough, readers say, but that they’re juggling the slow job market on top of the state’s high cost of living and other expenses. Jose G. from Amherst has been applying to jobs “all over New England” for more than a year. He landed a job for a few months, but then the business shuttered and he found himself “back at square one.” “I have been turned down by many positions or in most cases have never heard back,” he said. “It’s been difficult for me and I assume so many others to afford to pay for student loans, rent, and everything else.” Below, readers shared what it’s like navigating the job market now – confronting AI’s impact in the job hunt, ageism, intense competition, and more. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity. What’s the job search like right now? ‘This whole process is a giant black hole’ “The most challenging part is simply that this whole process is a giant black hole. You take time to tweak resumes and craft compelling cover letters just to hear silence in return. The competition is crazy – especially if you are looking for a fully remote role or hybrid role, like myself. On top of all of that, before AI it was all about getting yourself to the top of the resume pile. Now, you still need to get to the top but you also need to make sure your resume has the right keywords to make sure AI picks you out of the bunch as a potentially ‘good’ candidate.” – Amanda D., Canton (job hunting for 5-8 months) “Fortunately I still have a job, but I have been looking for a new opportunity, but have not had any luck. I feel that resumes fall into a black hole and seldom do you hear back.” – Joe, Southborough (job hunting for 5-8 months) “From getting outright ghosted after speaking with hiring managers to getting auto-rejected by ATS systems and so much more, I’ve seen a lot during my job search. The most challenging part has easily been putting in so much time and effort and seeing very little return on investment. I’ve actually had some success in side hustle pursuits but that pales in comparison to the comp package I was getting in Big Pharma just a couple years ago before I got laid off.” – Max, Cambridge (job hunting for more than a year) ‘You start to question yourself, wondering if you’ve lost your value’ “It has been almost a year since I started looking for a job, and this journey has been one of the hardest experiences of my life. I apply to jobs every week — hundreds of them by now. Most of the time, I don’t hear anything back. Some applications are met with automated rejections, others with complete silence. I follow up, I network, I rewrite my resume, and still, nothing moves. Out of all those applications, I’ve had only two interviews — both of which I had to chase for months just to get a chance to speak. One ended in rejection, and I’m still waiting for news on the second. Along the way, I’ve encountered scammers who pretend to be recruiters or hiring managers. They sound convincing, they ask for personal information or money, and they prey on people’s hope and desperation. I’m an experienced professional, and even I almost got trapped. That’s how sophisticated these scams have become. I have a master’s degree and over fifteen years of solid experience in financial services. I’ve worked since I was fourteen years old and have always taken pride in my work ethic. Until now, I’ve never had a problem finding a job. But this economy — this job market — has been brutal. You start to question yourself, wondering if you’ve lost your value, if something is wrong with you. It truly messes with your confidence and sense of self-worth. What hurts the most is that I’ve applied for roles I’m overqualified for, jobs I would gladly accept just for the opportunity to work, to contribute, to feel useful again. I’ve also applied for positions at my level — roles I know I could do exceptionally well — and yet, nobody gives me a chance. I’m sharing this story not out of self-pity, but because I know I’m not alone. There are so many capable, hard-working people out there facing the same silence, the same discouragement, the same invisible wall. I just hope by speaking up, we can bring more attention to how broken this system feels right now — and maybe restore some humanity and fairness to the hiring process.” – My N., Boston (job hunting for almost 1 year) ‘It’s jarring to feel this invisible in the job market’ “I’ve been looking for work since the end of January, after being laid off from a large real estate company where I worked for almost 20 years. I was part of their in-house creative marketing team, handling video and animation. I really liked the stability and the work itself, but my role was eliminated during a restructuring. Since then, I’ve been applying to three to five jobs a week, mostly in marketing, multimedia, or creative production. I’ve only had a couple of interviews the whole time. Most postings have well over a hundred applicants, and 98% of the time I just get an automated rejection. Sometimes I’m not even sure all the listings are real openings. I’m halfway through my unemployment benefits now. I’ve been able to stay afloat, but I haven’t been able to afford health insurance. Even with ACA subsidies, it’s too expensive when I still have to cover food and my mortgage. I’ll still be penalized at tax time for not having coverage, which makes it even harder. It’s been frustrating. After nearly two decades of steady work, it’s jarring to feel this invisible in the job market. I know a lot of people are in the same position, but it helps to see this issue being talked about.” – Anonymous reader ‘Getting screened out by AI before the process can even begin’ “The incursion of AI in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) erects yet another layer between candidates and a human being. It remains to be seen whether there is any advantage to machine screening of resumes or whether better candidates may be found by having an intelligent human being read resumes.” – Sam L., Worcester (job hunting for 1-4 months) “Applying to open positions and getting ghosted because each role has thousands and thousands of applicants, which leads to recruiters using AI to sort through applications and leaving the vast majority of applicants with no response. It would be easier on the average job-seeker if real people were looking at resumes, even briefly, and using stock rejection emails for all the unqualified candidates.” – Rebecca M., Andover (job hunting for 5-8 months) “Getting screened out by AI before the process can even begin – immediate rejections despite perfect role alignment. Sifting through hundreds of fake job listings.” – Lauren N., Amesbury (job hunting for 9-12 months) ‘Graduated college in 2023, ‘overqualified’ for a lot of entry level positions’ “Getting an interview for a job with a decent salary. I am currently employed, but am making 50% of what I was making previously. I am going into a lot of debt. The job market is a confidence killer.” – Katelyn, Duxbury (job hunting for more than a year) “Salaries just seem much lower than before. Really shocking to see the pay cut I may need to take if I do find something.” – Len M., Framingham (job hunting for 1-4 months) “Graduated college in 2023, ‘overqualified’ for a lot of entry level positions and did not hear back from more mid-level positions. Currently resorted back to hospitality full time.” – Tyler F., Quincy (job hunting for 5-8 months) “Knowing that I’m often overqualified because I’m having to apply to positions that I cleared decades ago and still getting rejected.” – John, Worcester (job hunting for 9-12 months) ‘I am thankful to have an offer, but it pays me 20% less than what I’m making’ “Getting the offer. I was laid off in mid-July. Dozens of interviews since then, half a dozen final rounds, where I just lost out to another candidate. I am thankful to have an offer, but it pays me 20% less than what I’m making, and less PTO. So, I’m still looking for other opportunities, and struggling to get other offers. For context, I used to have multiple offers to choose from, as recently as mid-2023, where it took me less than a month to land a new role! Competition is insane now, employers hold all the cards, and I have an MBA and am in my 30s. If I’m struggling, how are others surviving?” – Anonymous reader, Greater Boston (job hunting for 1-4 months) “The competition. I’m applying for things for which I meet or exceed every qualification, and am not even getting phone screens, let alone interviews. The only interviews/FaceTime I seem to be getting are with LinkedIn connections and/or people who know me from the industry, and even then I’m beaten by colleagues using the same or similar tactics.” – Adam, Needham (job hunting for 5-8 months) ‘Rampant ageism’ “The most challenging part is that absolutely no one will hire someone over 50, regardless of professional experience or being a perfect fit. At 55 I have to work for at least ten more years and put money away, but cannot get hired for a professional job.” – J.M., Watertown (job hunting for more than a year) “Rampant ageism among many things. ‘You have such good experience!’ – code for ‘You are too old,’ and I am only in my 50s. Employers shriek they cannot find workers yet there are millions of us. We just want (and need to) make more than $15 an hour to survive, especially professional workers … Getting back into the workforce during or after this time is becoming nearly impossible unless you want to do minimum wage jobs.” – Amanda, Stoneham (job hunting for more than a year) “My issue is my age, 68 years old. I still enjoy work and contribute immensely. I consult, but I feel isolated, not working in a team” – Kevin S., Newburyport (job hunting for more than a year) Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion. Some responses have been edited for length or clarity.
