This is going to be a recollection of the amount of hate and discontent I have for the workforce right now in the US. This will likely come across as a post of me just bitching about my life, but I'm writing this to just vomit out all the thoughts in my brain, and maybe find a few redditors who are experiencing the same thing.
I have been unemployed for 5 months. And what initially was a relief, has turned into one of the worst 5 months of my life.
January 2022, I had suffered long enough in my office job. I feel like I was paid a decent wage, however the environment, values, and culture of the company was causing a continuous fear and anxiety daily. The fear of once again being yelled at, the fear of having to call my wife and tell her that once again I'd be home 2-4 hours late, the fear of being the millennial in a sea of boomers who all hated me and my values. I had glowing reviews from all the people I managed (cue the spiderman meme) however in the corporate office, it was hell. So, I quit. I gave them my notice and it was a very awkward 2 weeks. Some of my old subordinates check in with me from time to time which is nice.
I had enough savings for 3 months. So I figured now would be a good time to really focus on my education while I had the time and the ability, so I finished my bachelor's degree. From my previous job, we were always hiring, even at the corporate level. That, mixed with the phenomenon that no one wants to work anymore (apparently) gave me a false impression that finding a new job might be hard, but certainly not impossible.
In the 3 months that I focused on school, I was still applying for jobs just to see if anything bit. I'd get calls here and there, interviews here and there. I consider myself a very strong interviewer, and I would generally always walk out of interviews thinking I did really well. At least that's the impression I would get as well.
From January – March, I interviewed for ~20 companies and applied for 50+. My experiences during this time made me lose all hope in job searching and reduced my self esteem to nothing.
I had a company interview me 7 times over a month and a half, only to never call again but respond to an email saying they felt I was not qualified. Would've been nice to know that sooner, but I digress.
I had a company interview me 4 times over a month just to tell me that they're looking for someone with an education. I was 3 weeks away from graduating.
I had a company ask for my knowledge in 4 different company trade-secret protected softwares that they use, and when I told them that I have not had the opportunity to explore your specific programs yet but that i'm a quick blah blah blah, they insisted that I need to take more initiative to learn about a company before I apply for them.
I had a company keep me waiting in the lobby for 1 hour, only for the manager to open the door, say “hey, Foxy?” “yes, hi!” “The position has been filled. Have a good day”.
I had 4 companies actually never show up to the zoom meeting, and after a follow up email they claimed that the position had been filled.
I have tons more of these, but I want to move on. It's now month 4, I've graduated, and I'm full steam ahead on getting hired. I have a coach who's helping me with my resume for every job, and even helping me with my interviewing skills. More money gone that I don't have, but it might be worth it, right?
I'm out of money, so I have to lower my sights. Fast food, retail, delivery, those kinds of things (there's nothing wrong with these kinds of jobs, but I'm in my late 30s and a veteran so I figured I could be above this.
This is where I truly learned that “no one wants to work anymore” is the biggest load of shit ever. I walked into multiple restaurants, fast food places, retail stores, grocery stores after applying online to do an in-person follow up. Most managers would just say “yea i'll give you a call” and never did, or would tell me they only have one 4 hour shift available a week at the moment… despite the “urgently hiring” sign on the door. I think the one that made me the most upset was when a fast food chain told me that they're really only looking to hire people who are committed to their company and want to stay for the long haul. My experience kind of gives them the impression that I'm pretty desperate, I think.
It's now month 5. And nothing has changed.
As a reader it's easy to assume that I'm doing something wrong, that I don't look presentable or something like that. No matter how many times I look at myself and no matter how low my self esteem has gotten, I can't seem to find a reason why I'm not even hirable by at least one person's (or company's) standards. No one in my life has given me any indication that I'm doing something wrong.
I don't feel like recruiters do their job. I don't feel like hiring managers do their job. I don't understand why I need to have 20+ years of experience for an entry level job in my industry. It feels like recruiters just show up to their job (that they also likely hate) and mindlessly scroll through resumes that magically passed the ATS screening, only to make flash judgements and not upset their superiors. But that's their job, I get it.
The crazy part? I still don't regret quitting.
I guess I just don't want to work anymore.