Job hunting seems to become more and more complicated every single year. Whether you’re casually on the lookout for a higher salary or you’re itching for a change of environment, you might have to jump through hoops to land a new job. And you might also have to deal with some strange messages from recruiters…
Rosie Lyons recently hopped on LinkedIn to share screenshots of an unexpected message she received from a recruiter that she had recently reached out to. Below, you’ll find the full message that Rosie received, as well as some of the reactions amused readers had to the post.
This woman was shocked to find that a rejection email she received included a photo as well
Image credits: Rosie Lyons
Image credits: Rosie Lyons
Image credits: Rosie Lyons
Today, it takes companies 44 days on average to fill open positions
If you’ve been on the lookout for a new job recently, there’s no doubt that you’ve experienced the frustration of the modern job market. And if you’re wondering if you’re exaggerating how brutal it has become, don’t worry, you’re not.
According to TIME, job hunting really is getting worse. They report that nowadays, there’s only one opening for every two applicants on LinkedIn, and companies are drawing out the application process as much as they can.
Some applicants are required to endure six rounds of interviews, take tests, record videos of themselves, finish at-home tasks and more. And of course, you can make your way through all of those rounds only to be met with a “We regret to inform you” email at the end. The time that it takes to hire a new employee has also recently reached an all-time high, according to Human Resources Director.
As of June 2023, it now takes 44 days on average to find a qualified applicant and offer them a job. But we don’t all have that much time to be waiting around, as we have bills to pay in the meantime!
Apparently, 64% of potential employees say they can only wait one month before deciding to ghost an employer who hasn’t given them an answer yet. A quarter of applicants say that they actually would be willing to wait two months, but that’s a huge risk if you end up being rejected.
There’s no question that the process of landing a new job has increased in difficulty over the years. In fact, over 70% of jobseekers who were on the hunt during the fall of 2023 say that finding a job nowadays requires more than an average amount of effort.
The vast majority of jobseekers say finding a new position is harder today than in years past
Unfortunately, more people are now desperate to find jobs as well, as over 45% of those same jobseekers reported that their financial situation was worse during the fall of 2023 than it was a year prior.
Fast Company has also addressed a few of the reasons why landing a new job is so challenging in the current market. One man even shared that he’s submitted 1,000 resumes between February and April of this year.
According to millennial career coach Eliana Goldstein, it’s simply harder to get an offer today than in years past. There’s also been a decrease in people voluntarily quitting, which means that there are less positions available and possibly even a fear of quitting amongst those who currently have jobs.
Goldstein also told Fast Company that AI might have something to do with the competitive job market as well. Forbes reports that 45% of jobseekers admit they’ve used AI tools to boost their resumes, which means that more and more people are applying for jobs with impressive resumes today. In fact, 90% of hiring managers don’t mind using AI for this purpose.
So today, it’s important to be patient and realistic while looking for a new job. Don’t compare your search today to the last time you switched companies, especially if that was two years ago or more. And don’t underestimate the power of networking and having connections. And if you happen to receive a strange message from a recruiter comparing you to a creepy doll, well, that might not be the company for you.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have responded to the message that Rosie received? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda piece discussing the current job market, look no further than right here!
Readers found the message hilarious and chimed in with their reactions
The post “How Do I Even Reply To That?”: Woman Shares How Recruiter Compared Her To A Creepy Doll first appeared on Bored Panda.