I Didn’t Expect To Be Job Hunting At The Start Of This Year
Life has a funny way of rerouting you. As we were nearing the end of 2024, like most others I was planning for the holidays and finalizing strategies for the team in 2025. We were looking forward to a successful year ahead. I certainly was not planning to be on the job market any time soon. There are always rumblings of things happening, but it didn’t seem urgent at the moment, until it did. By the time we reached December 20th, we had announced that all Party City stores would be liquidating, all corporate support staff was laid off, and suddenly, the year ahead would look wildly different.
With that, I realized that I would now be in a position I hadn’t been in for decades, the need to find a job without an immediate connection to what was next. Really, since I had started working more than 35 years ago, I had always lined up what was next before I needed to really ‘be looking.’ So began the updating of the resumes, the profile changing on LinkedIn, and the application process with different companies.
It was this personal experience that drove me to write this series. What I discovered was a process that felt fundamentally disconnected from the people it was meant to serve. The initial shock came from just how difficult it was to get a response. I spent hours tailoring my resume to match the specific keywords in a job description. You quickly learn that the first hurdle is simply getting past a system driven mostly by automation, rather than by someone reviewing the document itself. It felt less like showcasing my experience and more like trying to guess a password. Often it felt like you’d apply online through LinkedIn or a company portal, and your information vanishes into a digital black hole. As I spoke with others, I quickly realized that was a common feeling.
What I found most surprising was the silence. Even with a strong network cultivated over many years, I learned that a personal connection was no guarantee of getting into the process. I had several instances where even a direct referral to the hiring manager for a role I knew I was qualified for resulted in no follow-up. You begin to question everything. Was the job real to begin with? Did my resume not have the right keywords? It’s a frustrating and often demoralizing experience that leaves you feeling powerless.
Feeling ignored was the reality I heard from numerous people I spoke with at the time and in the months since as I have been researching this topic. As we covered in the first article, The State Of Hiring and Finding Work in 2025, 75% of jobseekers never hear back from a company after applying. Even when I did get into the interview process and spoke with multiple people, the courtesy of closure was rare. More often than not, the communication simply stopped. You are left wondering what happened, a particularly tough spot to be in when you have invested time and energy into the process.
Resilience is certainly something any jobseeker will need in heavy doses when they begin their job search. The challenge is real. It can be easy to take the lack of communication personally and to become frustrated with the situation quickly. You have to push through that.
When pausing for a moment to think about the other side of the equation, there is a lot happening that has nothing to do with you. We have all been there when hoping to hire. A budget may have shifted or been cut, internal priorities may have changed, or you just get bogged down in projects or immediate workload. This makes sense, because as a hiring manager, you’re often not thinking about how a decision might affect people who have already applied to the posted position.
As a jobseeker, a lot of that is outside your control. The silence, the lack of information or follow up, or feeling unseen are all things you have to take in stride. Your mindset makes all the difference. You have to be able to separate the external situation from your internal response to it. Your ability to navigate challenges is a critical skill, not just in leadership, but in the job search itself.
My story is not unique. In conversations with peers and colleagues, I have heard the same frustrations echoed again and again. Talented leaders with decades of proven success are struggling to get a foot in the door. They see roles that are a perfect fit for their skills, yet their applications go unanswered. They are networking, reaching out, and doing all the right things, only to be met with a wall of silence. It is a shared experience that points to a systemic breakdown in how companies connect with talent.
So, if you are in the midst of this challenging journey, what can you do? These are a few things I have learned during the experience. And, while I am no longer actively looking for a new role, I stay in contact with many who are, and now, I am always more engaged in possible opportunities that exist.
First, be prepared for a longer than expected search. The process takes time, and setting realistic expectations from the beginning can help you stay motivated. The average jobseeker spends 26 weeks looking for a new position. That obviously varies based on position and level, but the point is, it will take time.
Second, do not take the lack of communication personally. Remember that the silence is a reflection of a broken process, not a reflection on your value or experience. Focus on what you can control: your effort, your attitude, and your strategy.
Third, continue to network and build relationships. While it may not always lead directly to a job, networking is still the most powerful tool you have. It provides you with information, insights, and support. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new. This is so critical and a piece I will revisit later in this series.
Finally, know what you are really looking for and do not settle. It can be tempting to jump at the first real opportunity that comes along, especially after facing so many disappointing outcomes. But it is crucial to do your due diligence. Research the company culture, understand the role completely, and make sure it aligns with your long-term goals. Taking a job out of desperation is a short-term fix that often leads to long-term problems.
This personal journey into the current job market was an eye-opener. It revealed a significant gap between the needs of jobseekers and the practices of hiring managers. And, really, both sides are suffering in different ways. This can, and should, be a better process. It can be a way to connect talent to the roles that will help people and businesses be successful.
In the next article, we will explore that disconnect in more detail, looking at why both sides feel so frustrated and what is causing the divide.
If you’ve been through this yourself recently, what would you change to make the job search (and hiring) feel more human?
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