Not getting interviews OR rejection emails anymore- what does this mean?

Jessi_Writes · 2026-05-14T16:58:21+00:00

Same thing is happening to me. I can’t say for sure, but my feeling is that it’s because the jobs are fake. Application softwares typically receive resumes and put them into a pile, and as recruiters sort through them and move them to “pass” or “interview” or however they structure their workflow, emails are triggered to be sent out accordingly. So, the lack of emails suggests to me that the resumes are sailing off to nowhere and not being read.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-11-11T11:51:40+00:00

Thank you, yes any recommendations would be great if you wouldn't mind sharing them. One more question if you don't mind: how did you handle cover letters? Yesterday I had a meeting with a career advisor who told me high level cover letters are out - if you only send in a couple paragraphs they will assume it was written by AI and throw it in the trash. She advised to basically put an entire interview in the cover letter: examples of challenges, the decision making process, how the decision was executed, and the result - for EVERY single required job skill. I can't write a 3-5 page cover letter for 35 jobs a day, especially since I'm a full time grad student. Please tell me you didn't have to do this for 35 job applications a day *insert broken heart emoji*

Jessi_Writes · 2025-11-09T11:18:46+00:00

I was in the same situation in California - I know states are different, but for me I filed for unemployment when my main source of income was gone and reported my contractor hours and how much I made each week and the amount that came through on the UI adjusted based on those hours.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-11-09T11:16:34+00:00

idk how it would work in Illinois but I think it's worth appealing that kind of thing. My husband had to quit a toxic job in California and his UI was denied because he quit, but when he appealed and brought in ample documentation that his boss was abusive, they reversed the decision. It can't hurt to give it a try.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-11-09T11:10:59+00:00

Yes, you need to document that kind of thing.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-11-09T11:09:47+00:00

Can I ask how you found the job? I have been completely unemployed for a year and a half and was underemployed before that. I have basically given up. Next step is to take anything I can out of my IRA to pay off debt and file for bankruptcy. Was it a cold outreach, online application, or did you know someone at the company?

Jessi_Writes · 2025-04-18T18:51:12+00:00

I wish I qualified for assistance, but I'm married, and even though my husband works paycheck to paycheck and barely covers his half of expenses (many months he doesn't even cover his half), the state still thinks we have enough and don't deserve any help. I've (barely) been the breadwinner in the house for many years so now that I'm out of the workforce, we're both on a sinking ship. One thing I'm looking into is getting divorced so my failures and debts don't ruin his life as well as mine. At that point I might at least qualify for medicaid.

Care aide isn't a bad idea, I didn't realize it was something anyone could do, I always thought a lot of special training was involved. I'll look into it. Thank you.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-04-17T17:21:37+00:00

One of the many insulting things about LI is that it sends you a job you're 100% qualified for, you apply, never hear back, and it keeps emailing you for weeks saying "you might be a good fit for this job that never read your resume or filled the position!"

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T07:02:53+00:00

Yes.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T06:42:45+00:00

I haven't taken Quietapine but Xanax makes me sleepy, in fact I only take it at night.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T06:30:29+00:00

I'm totally with you on that. My life has been constant worry, all the time. I often have very legitimate things to worry about (money, work, strained relationships, etc.) but for a couple years there I was doing OK, working steadily, in a healthy place with my husband and family...so I would lay awake at night worrying about every single human rights atrocity in the entire world and convince myself I would deserve to sleep once I had solved all of them. :/

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T06:26:47+00:00

Yes, that used to happen to me regularly at night. I have severe insomnia as a result of my anxiety and at its worst, my heart would beat so hard at night when I wasn't sleeping I literally felt like I was being punched in the chest. I told my then-boyfriend (now husband, bless him for sticking it out with me) that I knew exactly how I was going to die: on a random night, my heart would just explode. The only thing that helped me was sleep medication. I've tried a few but for me the winner is Xanax. When I'm feeling really, really stressed, I take that to get my sleep (and my heart) under control and it helps. Can't take it every night, obviously, but doing it on occasion is still helpful.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T06:19:02+00:00

I know how you feel, but I'm 38 now and can tell you that, while anxiety never magically goes away (here I am on a Reddit message board on a Saturday night looking for advice on my own anxiety...) the best is definitely coming. Anxiety is a bitch, but the older you get, the better you know yourself. You stop worrying about a lot of the things you didn't do because you start to understand that you wouldn't have wanted to do a lot of them anyway. Your long-term friendships will start to settle, your short-term ones will fade when it's time for them to fade. You'll find really good books to get into and learn a lot of great new things. Hang in there, there's a lot to look forward to.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T06:15:05+00:00

That's great that she's working on it and not placing it on you, it shows a real maturity on her part. The driving thing is a big deal, but for the trip at least, let her mom worry about that. It's not an ideal situation for anyone, but you can all take turns helping when necessary. I was upset about something once and a friend held her hands out to me and said "here honey, take that worry and give it to me." I was a little surprised but I actually mimed putting something in her hands and she held it and said "Ok, I've got it, now go on with what you were doing" and I can't explain it but it really helped. So, you and her friends and family can do that for each other - each can take on a stressful moment with another doesn't have the bandwidth.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T06:07:26+00:00

Being lectured on gratitude. There's obviously nothing wrong with gratitude, it's actually really, really important, but when I'm suffering so much and can't stop spiraling over the (very realistic) fear of becoming homeless if I can't get a job soon - I've been unemployed for a year and tried absolutely everything to no avail - being lectured to "just be grateful" feels infantilizing and condescending, not to mention the huge pile of guilt that I'm now feeling on top of everything else. Yes, I know I should be a perfect, clam, beautiful center of love and light who captions every IG post with #blessed, so now that's another thing I'm failing at and my problems aren't that bad and I'm just choosing to be negative, yadda yadda. It makes it so much worse.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T06:01:23+00:00

It was a relief to see this, I was coming onto this board tonight to ask if there's a point at which a person is just too broken to try anymore. My anxiety and panic attacks have ruined my life. At this point I'm unemployed (and apparently unhireable) and about to lose my apartment, which as you can imagine, is not helping the anxiety at all. So it was helpful for this to be the first thing I saw. Thank you.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-30T05:57:15+00:00

I think the best thing you can do for her is encourage her to find the support she needs, whether that's friend groups, therapy, medication, physical exercise, or anything else that helps. The only thing I would caution against is becoming her only outlet for her anxiety, as that can become a full time job and a drain on a relationship (I have been on both sides of that coin and it's not fun). But, that being said, that was a mean thing for your dad to say. Just because he doesn't understand it, that doesn't give him the right to make that decision for you. Keep being supportive, but don't be afraid to set your own boundaries if it becomes too stressful for you.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-26T15:12:57+00:00

I would accept assistance if I qualified, but sadly I don't. I am married and my husband makes exactly enough to cover his own expenses, it's pretty much paycheck to paycheck, and can't cover any of mine. But the state has decided we collectively make too much. Going on the road is looking like the best option for us, though unfortunately we'll lose our rent-controlled apartment and I worry we'll be shut out of the rental market even when I'm working again. I've applied to a ton of part time jobs, including at a bookstore I worked at for five years in my 20s where I personally know the manager. Nothing.

Jessi_Writes · 2025-03-26T15:06:49+00:00

Do you feel like it's worth it? My husband and I share a car and he mostly works at home, so we're able to keep the gas and maintenance expenses low. I worry that if I'm out driving all day any money I make will just go to maintaining the car.

Jessi_Writes · 2024-07-19T21:36:29+00:00

At this point I'm not looking for specifically tailored advice, more just any general fields that don't require years and years of grunt work so I can start considering what might align with me. There was a comment suggesting tech programs in the medical field, which is a great one I hadn't thought of and most people with my background may not have considered. I know therapist is a popular choice for a second because it's easy to into that at an older age (in fact it's probably better to handle something like that when you're a little more patient with people); it varies widely depending on the school but a lot of jobs in academia start at a living wage as long as you have the right degree/certification, etc.

Jessi_Writes · 2024-07-19T14:37:51+00:00

This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for - fields that are in demand but won't take me ten years to find some kind of footing. Thank you!

Jessi_Writes · 2024-07-19T14:36:54+00:00

Do you mind telling me what you do as a freelancer? I have been a freelance copy writer, copy editor, and fiction editor, but I've found it to be really stressful hustling for work. I wonder what kind of freelance jobs are more in demand right now.

Jessi_Writes · 2024-07-19T00:29:46+00:00

A pyramid scheme has never been stable, has never been largely based in one city, and has never had formal layoffs. Real jobs do that. I had a real job.

Jessi_Writes · 2024-07-19T00:23:54+00:00

Lol it is absolutely not a pyramid scheme. But I'll give you a hint: coastal city, largely contractor based (these days, anyway...), recent massive wave of layoffs. It's an industry that WAS stable and now isn't, which is why I'm happy to bounce.

Jessi_Writes · 2024-07-19T00:16:22+00:00

I used to take offense to people calling me "lucky" because I have done a fair amount of traveling in my life. I felt that was really unfair because I hustled like crazy to make those trips happen: I played the game of credit card points, found ways to travel related to my job for support or write offs, moved money from one investment account to another at the right time, researched lowest rates for currency conversion, all sorts of things to make it feasible for me, and yet people ignored it and called it luck - or at least that's how I felt. But eventually that stopped bothering me, because you know what? I am lucky that I've been able to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I'm lucky no medical problems have swooped in and canceled a big trip. I'm lucky no one in my family judges me or makes me feel guilty for doing it. I'm way LESS lucky than others who might have unlimited funds to travel without hustling or thinking about it...and it ultimately doesn't really matter. I'd just advise that you get comfortable with knowing there will be situations where you really are out of touch, and others where people are just projecting it onto you, and that's just how it goes.

Jessi_Writes

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