I do not wish this job market on almost anyone. If you have a job, inshallah you will have it for a long time or will only leave it because you have something concrete and better lined up.
That being said!
If you're not in this job market, you have NO idea what it's like. Over an hour on each application, "optimizing" your resume and cover letter to exactly match the listing so the AI applicant tracking system won't boot it within 15 minutes (has happened multiple times). Attaching your optimized resume, but also having to copy and paste the exact same information into required fields on the application (this is 80% of applications). Applications where you have to enter your entire home address for some reason? Before even talking to a recruiter (happens about 75% of the time)?? Checking the "I didn't use AI for this application" box, even though they're using AI to vet your application (has happened). Recruiters that ghost you (literally happens to EVERYONE). One-way video interviews that offer you absolutely no digestible explanation about where your video will end up or who will be able to view it or how it will be handled once you're turned down for the job with a generic "thanks but no thanks" email, if you even get one (I'm on number three, which isn't super bad except for the security piece). And somehow multiple months with no offers still ends up making it look like *you* aren't "doing anything."
