It’s Been Over 4 Years Since I Had a Stable Job. I’m Still Looking.

This as-told-to essay is predicated on a dialog with Dominique Alexander, a job seeker in her 40s who lives in Louisiana. The next has been edited for size and readability.

Over the previous decade, I’ve misplaced a number of jobs. I am nonetheless making an attempt to get better from the monetary and psychological toll.

Since my contract role at Microsoft resulted in late 2021, I’ve handled a number of rejection, which may actually mess together with your head. I’ve learn that for people, among the most annoying forms of conditions are ones the place we do not know the way lengthy they will final. That is a part of why job looking might be so annoying.

One piece of recommendation I’ve for different job seekers is to be susceptible about what you are going by means of. Telling individuals you are out of labor may also help result in alternatives.

I believed having a connection could be extra useful in touchdown a job

In late 2018, I used to be laid off from my finance supervisor job at a serious US tobacco firm. As I regarded for work, I moved to Atlanta, the place I had household and a connection who worked at Coca-Cola, which is headquartered there.

I spent many of the subsequent yr centered on getting a task at Coca-Cola. I believed my inside connection would give me an edge, however regardless of making use of to dozens of roles on the firm, I solely landed a few interviews.

I began rising involved about my funds, however that summer time, I landed an interview for a senior supervisor function at Coca-Cola. After months of interviews, I obtained a suggestion — and began in November 2019.

A number of months into my function, we went distant as a result of pandemic, which considerably affected my onboarding and coaching. I navigated this problem till I used to be laid off in January 2021.

I struggled to seek out work and took part-time and contract roles

After my layoff, I started on the lookout for work however struggled to seek out any. A number of months later, I began a part-time function at an Amazon warehouse to earn some earnings.

Later that yr, a buddy of mine mentioned he knew somebody at a small consulting agency who was on the lookout for contractors to work at Microsoft. In August 2021, I began a contract function as a finance program supervisor. However in November 2021, my contract ended, leaving me and not using a job once more.

I spent most of 2022 centered on touchdown a task at Microsoft. I believed my contract expertise would give me an edge. In hindsight, although, I believe I wasted a yr of my life; the corporate was laying people off, and I believe hiring may have slowed greater than I noticed.

I took a break from job searching to reset

By 2023, my job search was taking a toll on my funds and psychological well being, so I made a decision to cut back. I moved to Louisiana, into a house my mother and father owned. This helped financially, as I solely needed to cowl upkeep and utilities.

I used to be nonetheless struggling mentally in 2024, so my mother and father and I agreed that I ought to keep off LinkedIn for your complete yr and never take into consideration job searching. I attempted to mentally decompress; I traveled and had enjoyable, hoping that I might be in a great headspace to job search once more in 2025.

For the reason that starting of 2025, I’ve hit the job search exhausting, specializing in finance and venture administration roles. I additionally earned a venture administration skilled certification, which I hoped would assist. Nevertheless, I am nonetheless on the lookout for regular work.

In January, I began a seasonal tax advisor job that went properly, however it resulted in April.

A couple of month in the past, I obtained my hopes up when somebody from Amazon reached out to me about making use of for a finance function, however I lately discovered I did not get the job.

What I’ve discovered about layoffs and job looking

By way of conversations with recruiters and hiring managers, I’ve realized one of the irritating components of my job search: Even when an organization posts a job on-line, they often plan to fill the role internally — in the event that they plan to fill it in any respect. It is in all probability not price my time, however I’ve no manner of realizing that upfront.

One of many greatest downsides of coping with layoffs — along with the monetary pressures they trigger — is the résumé gaps they create.

Even in case you had been an incredible employee and do all the appropriate job-search issues, you will probably nonetheless be left with some gaps. Recruiters have instructed me that employers can look down on candidates with gaps, even after they’re out of your management.

I’ve tried to remain hopeful that issues will get higher and, within the meantime, face every day with braveness and endurance.