"NEVER Do This": People Without Jobs Are Warning Everyone About What It's Really Like Out There Right Now, And It's Brutal

Finding a job feels like a full-time job in this current market, and I've been hearing so many stories about how difficult it is. Some people are applying to hundreds of jobs, while others get lucky through one random connection.

So when user Cozytism on Reddit asked, "Unemployed people of Reddit, how hard is the job market?" I knew the responses were going to be telling:

1. "I went from earning over $65K a year to hoping to hear back on a retail cashier job just to pay the bills, as unemployment isn't cutting it."

—MNJayW

2. "The job market is the worst it's ever been in my lifetime. I’m 38. I graduated in 2009, after the financial crisis, and I had an easier time getting work then than now with 15+ years of experience in my field."

—ObserverPro

3. "I built a career freelancing in my industry for 10 years. I worked for some of the biggest companies in the sector, but since AI blew up, my job became defunct. I can't even get an interview for any position related to that work anymore, at any level. I'm at the point of applying to Trader Joe's and fast- food places, where I also can't get an interview. I'm confused how most people have jobs — I can't get seen for any kind of job in any kind of field, and I'm kind of at a loss."

—quququachu

4. "It's been 2 months for me. I did two interviews with the same company — from what I understand, it’s down to me and someone else. Waiting to hear if I get an offer. Fingers crossed! I’m already freaking out after 2 months. Not sure how others are handling even longer unemployment."

—Scortor

5. "I'm a software engineer with a degree and a big tech role on my resume. It's taken 6 months and 1,500 applications to land a role I had to move across the country for, though it happens to be back to where my family is from. I'm grateful to have work, even if it is a slight pay cut."

—FrontCompetitive

6. "I used someone else's phone to call my own phone to make sure it's actually working. That is how my job search is going."

—realcanadianguy21

7. "In 2023, I left my job with no prospects. Within a month, a company found me, despite me only applying to a couple places per day. In September of 2025, the hospital I was working for closed, and I started looking for something new. I'm still fucking looking."

—Effendoor

8. "I worked for 10 years as a proofreader before getting laid off back in November. Companies won't even touch me now that I'm past 6 months of unemployment. I'm still getting freelance projects from time to time, but it feels like there are a ton of good candidates in the pool, and companies are getting to be super picky about who they'll even talk to, especially for the kind of niche work I do that people think can be solved with AI."

—houseofthedad

9. "It's been a year. I've lost track of my number of applications. I almost never hear back. At this point, I'm increasingly falling into learned helplessness, because nothing seems to work. I have over a decade of experience, degrees, decently impressive volunteering work, and none of it matters. One of my close friend with 25 years of experience took 4 months and dozens of interviews to land a position."

—Dexanth

10. "My wife has an MBA and 20 years of experience. Marketing is a ghastly graveyard, and until AI tools are charged at their actual cost to the businesses, everybody thinks they can do all of the marketing for basically free."

—seanzorio

11. "I have a Bachelor of Science in biology, a Master of Science in secondary science education, three internships, professional science research work...and I can't find a job. Not teaching. Not subbing. Not science. Not office work. Not even entry-level retail or restaurant work. Can't even get a phone screening. Basically, I've been told that any chances of me having a career (or even making $40K) may be over."

—Objective-Beyond-219

12. "It’s been 4 months for me and it feels very demoralizing. I am able to secure interviews and make it through multiple rounds, but I keep getting passed up for the role in the end. Rejection emails are just as generic no matter how far I get in the interview process, and feedback is hard to come by."

—jaked111

13. "I went back to school during COVID to transition out of education and into research. I got my master's degree last May, and I haven’t been able to find anything since. I even slunk back to education, and I can’t get anything full-time. I settled for a job as a paraeducator because I can’t find anything else."

—MrFiendish

14. "It took me 2.5 years to get this job I recently-ish started, and I only got it because I ran into my now-coworker at a wedding. It's not great, LOL."

—TheeVande

15. "I just graduated in May, but I’m having a hard time finding a job in my field. I've filled out 100 applications and had four interviews, but nothing so far."

—ClefairyHann

16. "I've sent 240 applications. Of those, I got 210 replies, 15 interviews, and only 10 gave a reason for the rejection — the reason being lack of experience, with no notes on what I could do better. So, yeah, it's starting to be an active effort to not be bitter."

—ThatGuyYouForgot

17. "My brother, who works in IT, spent the last 20 years being in high demand, with companies fighting over him all the time. He did everything right, has the degree and all the extra training and certs for his specialty. The dude's been out of work for 2 years now."

—Ok-Somewhere-2325

18. "It's awful. It's like the market is dead right now. I send dozens of resumes around every big company and don't get interviews or anything. It's like nobody is hiring for anything."

—andresfpg13

19. "I reached out to people and applied for positions I told myself I wouldn’t ever consider doing."

—Thalva

20. "Last year, I was making six figures as a software engineer with decades of experience. I'm a bartender now."

—Boomer70770

21. "I've been out of a job for a month. I finally got an offer: butter-production machine operator at Land O'Lakes for $29.50 an hour."

—phathobo12345

22. "You legit have to know people. Networking is real and important. Never burn bridges; you never know who you'll need in the future."

—bikkaboo

23. "I got rejected from a job yesterday because I expressed interest in growth within their company."

—aubsalot

24. "It’s the worst market of my 20-year career."

—ReconeHelmut

25. "It's made me seriously consider living in the woods, committing a crime to go to jail to survive, and leaving the country."

—Money_Management_721

26. "Honestly, it feels like getting an interview is a job by itself these days."

—elara71

27. And finally: "There's so much ghosting from companies."

—CarlClitcakes

In your experience, what is the job market like right now? Let us know in the comments or via this anonymous form!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Hang in there, everyone! You've got this.