The 2025 Job Search

Let’s talk about the 2025 job market.

Because apparently, if you blink wrong during a Zoom interview, mispronounce “cross-functional,” or don’t have a 3-minute elevator pitch about your personal brand as a breakfast cereal… you’re out.

Someone messaged me recently and said:

“I’m 47. This was my first time job hunting since I worked at a grocery store in high school. Every job I’ve had since came through referral or recruitment. And now? It’s like trying to join a secret society… but with worse robes and more personality tests.”

And honestly? That sums it up.

Looking for a job in 2025 feels like being the last sane contestant on a reality show called “Survivor: LinkedIn Island.” The rules are simple:

• Everyone’s a “thought leader.”

• Every role is “fast-paced, high-growth, low-pay.”

• And if you ask a question during the interview, you’re labeled “difficult.”

You log in.

You see a posting.

It requires 8 years of experience for an entry-level role.

You apply.

The ATS eats your résumé like a hungry raccoon.

You follow up.

Silence.

Then… an interview invite! 🎉

Except now you have to do:

• A 15-minute pre-recorded video introduction

• A personality test to see if you’d rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses

• A panel interview with 5 people and 7 job titles

• And a “small project” that turns out to be their entire Q4 strategy.

You do all of it. You smile. You breathe deeply. You pray.

And then… nothing.

No email. No call.

Just vibes.

Maybe a LinkedIn post from the recruiter about how important “empathy in hiring” is.

Meanwhile, you’re out here like Brent — who said companies treat people like either Grandpa’s Rolex or a rented 2024 Kia.

If you’re the Rolex? They polish you, protect you, and cry when they have to let you go.

If you’re the Kia? They jump train tracks, chain-smoke Winstons in the front seat, and return you early with bald tires and half a tank.

And now there’s a 2025 version with Bluetooth and one extra cupholder, so… you’re out.

That’s the game.

But here’s the emotional part:

You’re not crazy for struggling in this system.

You’re not weak for feeling tired.

You’re not the only one wondering how we went from “hired on the spot” to “please complete this 4-hour logic test to prove you can answer emails.”

And if you’re “underemployed” right now? That’s not failure. That’s survival. That’s strength. That’s finding a way in a system that feels like it’s written in invisible ink and interpreted by 26-year-olds named Skyler who say things like “you’re overqualified” because you used Outlook before they were born.

So to everyone scrolling through job boards right now like it’s Tinder with worse lighting — you’re not alone.

To everyone rewriting their résumé for the 14th time today because some robot didn’t like your verb tense — you’re seen.

To everyone getting interviews and still getting ghosted — you’re not the problem.

And to everyone feeling like they’ve become a used Kia in a world obsessed with Teslas — don’t worry.

You’ve still got value under the hood.

Keep showing up.

Keep applying.

Keep laughing at the absurdity when you can.

Your people are out here.

They’re just stuck in traffic behind 800 ATS filters.

Hold tight. The ride’s bumpy. But you’re not done yet.