- Devon has applied to over 200 jobs since February but hasn't had many interviews.
- She's surprised at how long it's taking to get a job, given her work experience and master's degree.
- She said she would have considered taking a class if she knew it would take so long to find work.
Devon, 48, started searching for work shortly after finding out in February that she was being laid off from her analyst job.
It's Devon's first extensive job search in years; she worked for her previous employer for 10 years but noted she did some internal interviews before being laid off.
Despite over 200 job applications since starting her job search in February, she has had fewer than 10 interviews at the time of reporting. She said her first one was in the spring; documentation shared with Business Insider showed she's had a few interviews this summer.
"I had one company, I did the interview in the morning, and I had a rejection email that afternoon," Devon, who asked to go by just her first name for privacy reasons, told Business Insider.
Devon didn't think it would take so long to find a new job and is surprised that landing work has been difficult, given her "solid work history" and master's degree.
"A lot of people would probably say I'm overqualified with the master's degree, but even jobs that I am perfectly qualified for per the job description, I'm still not getting any response," she said.
Still, Devon thinks the job market can be a challenge for job seekers regardless of education or work history.
"I know other people who have a solid work history, education. I know people who don't have a solid work history and no education. We're all in the same boat," Devon said. "So, you can't say it's, oh, because you're overqualified, or you can't say it's because you don't have education or solid work."
She's not alone. Over 7 million people were unemployed in the US as of July. The number of long-term unemployed — those who have been looking for work for at least 27 weeks — has increased from around 1.2 million in July 2023 to around 1.5 million this July. While there are things people can do to potentially raise their chances of landing a job, the job market is tougher than a few years ago.
Devon said she's "really hitting that point of being concerned" about not having a job now that she's been looking for work for several months. She got a severance package, but now that her ability to collect unemployment has recently ended, she's considering tapping into her 401(k) — something she said she doesn't want to do.
"I'm applying to jobs that are significantly less money-wise to hopefully get something coming in," she said.
She's also looking at non-remote opportunities, despite her interest in working from home, and at a variety of positions. "I've been a delivery driver. I've worked in warehouses, so I am putting things out there that have nothing to do with being an analyst, that aren't even office jobs," Devon said.
Devon said she hates "the games" that come with job searching. "I'm a very transparent person and honest," Devon said. " I don't want to waste anybody's time, but I can't go in there and say, 'I've got to put food on the table. Yes, I need this job. I don't care what I'm doing, and I don't care what you're going to pay me, but I got to keep a roof over my head.'"
What job searching and unemployment has looked like for Devon
Devon said her past employer did provide resources for résumé help after her layoff. "I worked for a great company and I would love to work for another similar company/job," she said in a follow-up email. "I really had a dream job."
The job search hasn't come easy, though.
"I feel like I was set up well to succeed even after being laid off, but having a professionally written résumé and all the stuff still has not helped me," Devon said.
Devon's strategy has been to look at job opportunities on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. She said some weeks there are several jobs she can apply to, while others no luck. This schedule wasn't her initial job-search strategy; she said she used to look every day.
"It became very draining and overwhelming and defeating," Devon said. "You feel like you're worthless, you're a loser. What was the point of the education?"
She said taking a step back and not applying each day has helped her feel more positive about her situation.
She said the interviews she had so far weren't through networking. Still, Devon said, "It's always been helpful to know" someone who works at the employer you're considering a job at.
Devon isn't spending all of her time filling out job applications. She has enjoyed volunteering and spending some more time outside. She suggested others find inexpensive things to do that bring them joy during unemployment instead of constantly searching for a job.
She said to consider a free class to upskill or reskill if you recently were laid off. "I wish I would've known it was going to take this long, and maybe I would've went and tried to take a class or two," Devon said.
For others who have been laid off and are still job seeking, Devon said to "try to stay positive" and take care of yourself.
"It's OK to take a mental health day and do something fun," she said. "You can do a lot of fun things that don't cost any money. Take a walk in the park. I'm always kind of one of those stop and smell the roses kind of people."
Reach out to this reporter at [email protected] to share how long it has or is taking you to find a job.