I work in marketing. I have nearly 7 years of experience. I've worked as a freelancer, for agencies, as a consultant. I have a robust, valuable set of skills. Or at least I think they're valuable. In January, I was laid off as the company I was working for was losing a massive contract and couldn't afford most of their staff anymore. I spent SEVEN months looking for a new position, freelancing so I could pay my bills while I searched. I put in over 1,000 applications in that time. Yes, you read that right. ONE THOUSAND APPLICATIONS.
Consistently turned down, ghosted, lead on, etc. You know the drill. I must've optimized my resume 25 times. Even ran it through those ATS scanners to make sure it was optimized that way, since I was getting a lot of auto rejections. The whole process was painful. Aside from low-ball, bullshit positions that don't reveal any information until you're in the interview, I ran into organizations that think 7 years in the industry is worth less than $20/hr.
Finally, I get a lead and I'm forced to take it because it's the only thing I have and my freelance work is about to run out. So I take a job making about $35k less per year because there's nothing else. Now, I'm working full-time and can't even afford my bills without my freelance work on the side. What in the fuck are we doing? What is this system we live in? Is it SO hard for people to understand the we don't want to work full-time and not even be able to survive?
For context, I have a family, so my bills may be higher than most, but the only debt I have are student loans and some minor credit card debt and my mortgage. My car is paid off. I'm not an extravagant spender. I just want to plan my fucking wedding, get married, and live comfortably without having to dedicate 90+ hours per week to some soulless job that only serves to suck the life from my body and soul.