The Silent Struggles of Job Searching in the Age of AI and Ghosting

^{If you're reading this while refreshing your inbox yet again, hoping for a response that never comes, you are not alone.}

^{The job search in today’s world can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. For many professionals, especially those with strong experience and ambition, the process can be humbling, exhausting, and at times, soul-crushing.}

^{I want to talk about the unspoken realities, especially the ones we vent about to friends but rarely share online:}

^{- Submitting hundreds of applications only to be filtered out by an AI before a human even sees your name.}

^{- Getting through rounds of interviews, only to later realise it was an “internal hire” all along.}

^{- Engaging with what seemed like genuine job ads, only to discover they were posted to meet policy requirements or harvest resumes.}

^{And worst of all, the deafening silence after what felt like a great conversation with a recruiter or interviewer. Ghosted. No closure. No feedback.}

^{It is a landscape where even highly qualified, experienced candidates are left questioning their worth, confidence worn down by automated rejection emails or worse, none at all.}

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^{Why is this happening?}

^{Because the hiring process has changed, and not always for the better.}

^{AI now plays gatekeeper. It is efficient, but not perfect. Keywords (buzz words) outweigh context, and stellar candidates can be overlooked simply because their CV did not hit the right algorithmic note.}

^{Recruiters are stretched thin. Many are managing hundreds of candidates simultaneously, making personal follow-ups a luxury.}

^{And organisations, often unintentionally, contribute to a system that lacks transparency, keeping roles open for compliance, even when an internal candidate is already lined up.}

^{So where does this leave jobseekers?}

^{Tired. Disillusioned. But also, resilient.}

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^{Here’s what I want you to know:}

^{- Your value is not diminished by rejection. Algorithms do not see your full story. A silent inbox does not equate to a lack of talent.}

^{- You are not imagining things. Yes, ghosting is real. Yes, some job ads are misleading. Acknowledge it, it’s valid to feel frustrated.}

^{- You're allowed to pause. Take a breath. Reset. Your mental health matters more than endlessly tweaking your resume at 2am.}

^{- You are not alone. This is happening to brilliant people across industries, seniority levels, and countries. Reach out, talk about it, and share your story.}

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^{What can we all do better?}

^{For hiring managers and recruiters reading this, we can humanise the process. Let’s communicate better. Offer clarity. Even a short follow-up goes a long way in preserving someone’s hope.}

^{For jobseekers- find your tribe. Network with intention. Consider informational interviews, seek feedback where possible, and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions during the process.}

^{And for all of us- let’s be honest about the challenges. Because only then can we start to change the narrative.}

^{To anyone currently navigating this path: I see you. Your job search may not have the ending you expected yet, but your resilience is a story worth telling.}

^{Keep going and when you need to, pause and regroup. The right opportunity is not a myth. It's just not always on the timeline we hoped for.}

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