Rant about the Current Job Market

Disclaimer: This is just a rant about my suffering regarding the job market. There is no gyan here. I just want a place to rant and I can't post this on LinkedIn or any other platforms since people in my org will see it

Hi Everyone! So I've been trying to switch to a new job for the last year or so and I have gotten nowhere. Here are some of the problems I've faced:

Job Boards/Portals

1. Jobs that have a direct apply from the app/platform are useless. My status stays in "applied" status for months! Even when it moves to "Application Viewed" nothing happens. Aren't companies/HRs paying money to use these portals? I feel this is just an unnecessary waste of time and resources if you take the time to post on these portals and not check it afterwards.

2. Jobs that have a "apply on company page" are even worse! You have to go through those awful long job applications (Yes, I'm looking at you Workday!) and all you get from that is a 'Thank you for applying' email. Not even a rejection email if I'm not shortlisted. Why even use such a complex and costly system if you don't even want to use it? Some people might argue that "HRs receive 1000s of applications and how will they reply to all?". To them I say that's why those complex systems are in place. It automates most of the shortlisting work. You just have to bother to automate a reply and for those that need manual shortlisting, is clicking a button 'Not Shortlisted' difficult???

Referrals

1. Well... this has become mainstream now too. Everyone has a referral now. Like people have become the new job boards. So, HRs ghost even referrals these days.

2. Posting about referrals has become a way to increase your following and connection count on LinkedIn now. Irrespective of if the referral is provided after someone follows and pings them about it.

Shortlisting Process

1. 90 Days NP. The bane of my existence. Nobody in the job market is ready to wait. Can't quit and search because RESPONSIBILITIES.

2. One time, a HR calls me about a role (in the initial days of my job search) that I had applied for. Asks me for my NP. I say, officially, it is 90 days. She said that does not work for her org. I then said I can reduce that NP to 30 days. She said that too won't work. She needs someone with 15 days or less so we couldn't reach an agreement and ended the call. Now, a year after, that company is STILL looking for someone for the SAME role(Actively)!!! Wth!?

3. Unknown job requirements. I sometimes get rejection emails saying that I've not met the job requirements that the org is looking for. Ok, fair, but what WAS your requirement? Just to experiment I sometimes have edited my resume and job application to match the exact JD that the company has given. Even when put in an ATS it would've gotten a match rate of 93~95% but still gotten a rejection. So I'm not sure what is going on there.

Interview Process

1. Ghosting. This is so prevalent now. I feel this is worse here than it is in the dating world. Below are a few situations I've faced.

2. One time, for a prominent MNC, a HR calls me (on Monday) to inform me that I've been shortlisted for the role I had applied for and that I will have an interview on Saturday. She tells me that she will send interview details shortly. Nothing after that. I called, messaged and emailed to follow-up. Nothing. Everything was ignored.

3. Another time, a HR calls me for a role, asks me about the usual details (Location, NP, CCTC, ECTC). Agrees to everything during the call and schedules interviews. After 3 rounds of interview during the HR round the SAME HR asks me for ECTC and I tell her the same figure I gave during the initial discussion. She then says I'm asking for too much and tells me that she will think about it and disconnects the call. After that ghosts me.

4. Another time, a HR finds my profile from a job board and calls me telling me she has shortlisted me for a role. I explain my experience and during the call she realises that I'm also a perfect fit for another role that the org is looking for and informs me. She tells me that she will forward my profile to the hiring manager for both roles. Few days later ghosts me on all of my follow-ups.

5. Most recent, for a role that I was shortlisted. After a period of 2 months and 7 rounds of interviews (calls and assessments), HR forgets about me. When I email her boss to ask for an update, she calls me and tells that the role has gone "on hold" and to not "waste my time" advised me to apply elsewhere and if this position opens-up in the future I'll be the first one to be considered for it.

Sigh... I have so many such stories. At this point in time I'm just sick and tired of problems with my job search. I just want to curl up in a corner and not think about jobs at all.

Anyway... Thank you for reading my rant. Hope you have a nice day ahead.