Oopsies

Here’s the uncomfortable truth no one wants to print on a company mug: sometimes that job posting you see — the one you just poured your heart into applying for — isn’t even real anymore.

Roles get “frozen” to save budget. Hiring priorities shift because someone up the chain had a change of heart or a change in their bonus structure. Sometimes companies leave postings up “just in case” or to collect a pile of résumés they’ll never read, so they can tell leadership or investors, “Look at our robust pipeline!”

Meanwhile, you’re at home refreshing your email, hoping, imagining, checking your phone in the middle of the night when you hear that phantom “ping.” You start rehearsing the commute in your head, planning your first-day outfit, picturing how you’ll introduce yourself to new coworkers. You start to believe in the possibility of a new chapter — because that’s what humans do. We hope.

Then, without warning, you get an automated email that feels as personal as a parking ticket. Or nothing at all. Silence. A void. And you’re left wondering if you even mattered.

This isn’t just disappointing — it’s dehumanizing. It turns job seekers into disposable tokens in a corporate game. It makes people question their worth, their skills, and their dreams. And that is a heavy, heavy thing to carry alone.

We tell people to “build resilience,” to “not take it personally,” to “keep grinding.” But let’s be honest: it hurts. It’s not just professional rejection — it’s a personal gut punch to your confidence and identity.

Companies love to say “We’re a family” and “People first,” but that has to mean more than pizza parties and branded water bottles. It has to mean treating candidates like people. It means transparent communication, real updates, and a genuine respect for the time and energy job seekers give — often for free — during endless interview rounds.

And to all of you out there in the trenches of job hunting: please know this is not your fault. You are not “too old,” “too junior,” “too experienced,” or “too much.” You are exactly who you are supposed to be.

Your worth is not defined by ghosted applications or automated “oops, never mind” emails. Your worth is not tied to whether a recruiter viewed your profile or a hiring manager sent a polite decline.

You are so much more than a bullet point list or a stack of keywords scanned by a robot. You are a whole human being with stories, talent, grit, humor, and heart.

The right opportunity — the one that truly deserves you — won’t treat you like an afterthought. It won’t make you jump through flaming hoops just to prove you’re worthy. It will see you, value you, and make you feel welcome before you even step through the door.

So don’t lose your spark. Don’t let these empty processes dull your shine. You are not disposable. You are remarkable. And somewhere out there, the right role is waiting — and it will be worth every heartbreak along the way.

Keep going. You’re closer than you think.