Ever feel like applying for jobs is a full-time job itself? Welcome to the job seeker’s nightmare. You polish your resume, hit “apply” hundreds of times, and what do you get? Crickets. Unless you count the friendly scammer who insists you’ve just been hired as a “remote package quality inspector” for $5,000 a week. (Sure, Karen. Totally legit.)
Meanwhile, every time I scroll through LinkedIn, I see thousands of people looking for work—and at the same time, thousands of jobs being posted. You’d think the math would cancel out, right? Job seekers + jobs = problem solved. But nope. It’s like the universe set up a giant dating app where nobody ever swipes right.
I’ve applied to plenty of roles where my skills matched 100%—the ones that made me think, “This is it. This is The One.” Great pay, great fit… and then? Ghosted. Not even a courtesy “thanks but no thanks.” Just me, refreshing my inbox like it owes me money.
Life goes on.
And while the inbox stays empty, life doesn’t. The mortgage is still due, the utility bills keep rolling in, the grocery list is longer than the Dead Sea Scrolls, and I’ve got kids (and a pack of elderly, slightly abused chihuahuas I rescued.) depending on me. If you’ve ever been barked at by a 5-pound dog demanding dinner while you stare at your bank account, you know what motivation feels like.
But here’s the thing—I do keep moving forward. Because one day, a company is going to look past the stack of resumes and realize I’m a diamond in the rough. (Not a cubic zirconia, thank you very much.)
Until then, I’ll keep applying, keep laughing, and keep the coffee flowing. If you’re a company that needs someone who blends IT leadership, cybersecurity, and a knack for managing chaos (and chihuahuas), I’d love to chat.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethdoerhoff/
My Resume: https://tectuma.com/Kenneth_Doerhoff_Resume.pdf
Because one of these days, the job seeker’s nightmare is going to flip into a dream come true.
