I want to give up.

I recently just got rejected from my dream job and I have kept encountering the "we really like you" in all sorts of forms but never get chosen. I was laid off since January & I am so, so mentally exhausted and I have cried a lot. Currently I am freelancing as much as I can and I applying to other jobs until I find something. I have so much financial burden on me that I don't really have time to think about pivoting. I gave up a lot for this career.

Don’t give up, or give in. I think those of us here are in the same relative predicament, and these posts help assure it’s not you. Use what makes sense. Stay sharp, and be ready. But, do other things to keep you in a more positive and healthier vibe.

Personally, I had been initially optimistic myself: knew things were souring, and needed to get another place to land. Had a few interviews early on, and from my perspective, crushed them all. But, apparently not. And very rare is the feedback. Harsh and it blows chunks. I’ve revised my resume numerous times (to get “hits”), and scolded myself for not continuing— then I read it 4 months later and revised again. Feed it through ATS trackers and Ai platforms like Gemini to make sure it “passes.” Check. Now I have Gemini write my covers, adjust as needed, and spit them out to add. This way leave little to chance.

My wife knew her job was going a year ago, and she focused on her family first, only very recently re-engaging. We’re in polar opposite spaces, but she has had pretty good luck considering she’s not smashing the peddle to the floor looking. Has a round two in a couple days, after getting an email that they approved her salary expectations. Damn!

So I definitely feel the blues. But, I’m not giving up, even at 61. I’m darned skillful, super customer focused, and drink up new skills including Ai like it’s a frosty beer on a hot day.

Now, back to cycle: 15 minutes looking; lunch; look; do something creative; look, etc. Break it up, and read good book too. Best of luck my friend/s!

I am also a mid-level designer. This is my second time being laid off. My family relies on me as part of source of income.

I know that I am not alone in this predicament--but it is so, so hard.

Yep. It sucks out there right now. I was let go last October after giving a company four years of dedicated service. I have 25 years of experience most of which being a business owner and with skills in all aspects of design, e.g. print, digital, motion, video, etc. Since I started looking for another company, I've had numerous jobs that I've interviewed for get to the very end and then getting either rejected (not many) or told that the job was on hold, canceled. or given to an internal candidate. This after typically two interviews for each position and with 2-8 people per. Each company gave me a ton of praise on both my personality and my work. I even had one say that I was perfect for the position. It's a shit show market right now and there are a ton of designers out there out of work. In order to even compete, you need to be top-tier, incredibly versatile (in what you can do) and have an outstanding website. Those, I believe, are the only reasons I've gotten interviews at all. And still, no offers.

I feel your pain so much 😭 I genuinely don't know how some of us are meant to get through this economy (and whatever permanent changes AI brings). I'm freelancing as well, and working part-time at a dollar store. I sold my car, moved in with roommates, and I'm still struggling. This isn't where I thought I would be in my 30s.

Don't give up yet! I know its not easy. I was made redundant in March and have had no real luck if i'm honest. Managed to get to a final stage interview and presentation just last week, only to be unsuccessful and be told "you were a very close second."

As disappointing as it was I, somehow, still believe I can get something. I've been a designer pretty much all my life, but even I have thought about pivoting. I honestly dont know what i would do and I've invested so much into building my career to see it all fade away while I work a regular job.

The financial burdens are massive right now but I just have to stay strong and move forward. Hopefully your chance will arrive soon.

If you’re making it to interviews, it’s not your portfolio. It’s your storytelling ability and interviewing skills. Work on that

Just wanted to let you know you're not alone! I have cried so much too! I wish people talked about and normalized how COMMON rejection is. It's not abnormal at all to be rejected by tons of companies, but it's so taxing on your mental health and confidence!

I got laid off of 2 jobs in the same year, been outta work for 2 years. I send out a lot of resumes, redid my LinkedIn and online portfolio. Still crickets……..

I had AI interviews, and a WhatsApp over flowing, and a lot of telemarketers, random calls. And employers who never follow through. HR people that aren’t good communicators. I’m still hustling and working hard to find work and it’s so frustrating at times. I used to be able to find work easily, but know it’s just not happening. Everyone keep your heads up some will come around.

Same boat as you friend. Don't give up! Make things/projects that make you smile to keep your skills sharp!

I feel you. Been unemployed since Sept 2024, had some interviews but didn't get selected for the roles. Maybe it’s cause I’m neurodivergent, I don't
know but I'm losing hope too.

I don't have the answers. But I can only offer you some empathy. Increasingly career success seems to be office politics far more than qualifications. I think this really blows for technical people who are mostly wired to emphasize hard vs soft (and BS) skills. This may or may not be you.
But, with decades of experience, I've never experienced such job search difficulty...Even with experience seeking jobs while unemployed.
I've been turned down and ghosted for roles I am objectively perfect for in qualifications and experience. Also getting some "really liked you" feedback. It's clear so many of these are ghost postings or already promised to an internal candidate. So DON'T LET IT DAMAGE YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE.
I decided to retire early as my circumstances as such that can with some adjustments and risk. I recognize many just can't financially take a break. But, I simply do not believe in treating a job search like a "numbers game". I think it just dilutes your perceived value. Hang in there. It's not just you.

I'm so, so sorry you're going through this. I haven't been laid off... yet.... but expect I will be in the upcoming year because of budget issues at my current employer. I'm an upper/mid level designer and art director with over 15 years experience, and I've never had such a difficult time finding a job in my life. The creative job market is awful right now. I've applied to about 40 jobs in the last 10 months, had several interviews that I thought went really well, and still no offers. I've even had interviewers tell me how much they loved my work and they seemed to really like me. It seems that the market is so competitive right now, that even the smallest thing can tip the scales. Maybe someone has specific experience in a certain industry and you don't, or maybe they are looking to promote someone internally but have to post the job publicly and applying is a waste. Who knows.

This is exactly how I feel, but it’s not you. I just signed a temporary contract role after actively interviewing for 9 months. I’ve felt the same financial burden, and I haven’t had much time to think about pivoting either. I’ve cried so much too, so I feel your post in every fiber of me. I’ve questioned my skillset, my storytelling, and even my relevance in design, but you can’t give up. I’m hearing how rough it is in every single industry, in every single field. Keep signing those freelance contracts and keep applying. Don’t give up, and treat your portfolio like a UX project. Get as much helpful feedback as possible and keep iterating without introducing friction points. Tell your story; in a world where everyone is striving for perfection, authenticity and connection with the hiring team matter most.

I feel for you. The exhaustion is real especially in context of rounds and rounds of interviews where you have to perform 🥲

Never, ever, give up. Don't let "them" beat you. Persist. Don't think about it too much. Just do, go, move, create. Had lots of friends in college who gave up too soon. Those that hung in there got good, if not really great jobs. I had many, then formed my own company. Consider doing that. Find a niche.

I know how you feel. I really do, I got laid off in beginning of April of this year (2 weeks before my birthday too lol) and have been looking since. From April to November I got a total of 2 interviews (not including recruiter calls). Literally 8 months of searching and 2 interviews. Its a tough market I know, I just landed a position out of nowhere with my 2nd interview. It felt like a God send. Don't give up, it will happen. Honestly before this happened I was mentally preparing myself to get a retail job. I was so devastated at first but realized, you know what I will do whatever it takes, its okay, a job will find me. I stopped stressing about finding the job as my funds were depleating by the minute. I said, I got this. And as soon as I let go of the pressure to find a job, I found it. Im starting my new job next week and looking back now, all I can think about is: I wish I had spent the last 8 months of joblessness enjoying life more.

Same- I've been out for 2.5 years now. Had freelance on/off but have to fight to get paid and have done riddic amounts of free work either through this or interviews that at times don't even respond when I've spent time doing the work. Lame excuses for not getting through the final cut too. Its demotivating for sure. I know my work is good too. I still get interviews.